March 1, 1902.J
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-I have much pleasure in seconding. I have gone through the bye-laws very carefully with Dr. Clark, and it seems to us that they are quite unexceptionable and should be passed.
The motion was agreed to,
DRAINAGE BYE LAWS.
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS made the following motion under section 14 of Ordinanco No. 13 of 1901:-" That this Council approves of the Bye-laws for the repeal of Nos. 29 and 30 of the Drainage Bye-laws contained in Schedule B of Ordinance No. 13 of 1901, aud the substitu- tion of amended Bye-law No. 30 under Section 13 thereof." He said-This matter, sir. brought forward simply with the view of remov- ing some anomalies which existed in the previous bye-laws. It was laid down in these bye-laws that under certain conditions rainwater must be con- veyed in cast-iron pipes, for example, while waste- water could be conveyed in earthenware pipes; and there were numerous other discrepancies which required correction. Before the bye-law was put in its present form it was submitted to the various engineering and architectural firms in the Colony, and has received their approval. I therefore beg to move that it be approved.
|
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Regulation Ordinance (No. 12 of 1899), it was enacted that the said Ordinauce should remain in force for the period of one year from the date of its coming into operation, and for such further period or periods as might, from time to time, be determined by resolution of the Legislative Council: And whereas, by previous resolutions of the said Legislative Council it was resolved that the said Ordinance should be continued in forte until the 18th day of April, 1902: It is hereby resolved by this Council that the New Territories Regulation Ordinance, 1899, shall be again continued in force for the further period of two years from the 18th day of April, 1902 (inclusive)." He said-1 may say it is obvious that it has not been ascertained by the Land Court precisely who are the holders of the different claims of land in the Now Territory, and until the various claims are settle it will be practically impossible for the Government to make any great boadway in the collection of rents. It is very satisfactory to hear from Mr. Gompertz that the Land Court is making very considerable progress in the work now, and I trust that in the courso of a couple of years they will be able to get Crown rent regularly, and to get arrears rents which were outstanding-or some of them at all events. I may say that some of the persons who are defaulters in this matter are persous living out of the jurisdiction The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-Before, sir, I of the Colony. They claim to have a sort of move the other motions I have placed on the charge which they collect from the actual oc- orders of the day, I would ask your permission cupiers of and workers upon the land, and these under the claim of urgency to move a resolution persons being outside the jurisdiction of the under Section 31 of the Rating Ordinance Colony, residing in (hina, it is quite impossible No. 8 of 1901. I move that under No. 13 H of
to take any proceedings against them and make the standing orders, which says that any motion them pay rent. But when they come to have the urgency of which is admitted by the Pre-their claims established by the and Court then sident and two-thirds of the members may be we can make them pay back rent; and these claims made without notice having been given. Per will be overtaken as district by district is set haps it may be decided whether I should proceed. tled. In the meantime it is necessary that we
here being no objections,
should have a somewhat exceptionally free hand and be able to continue the system which is prevailing at the present time. I hope before two years are up that we shall be able to pass a proper Ordinance which shall settle all those matters.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion was adopted.
RATING OF QUARRIES.
At
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said-I will very briefly explain this matter. The motion is this, that "whereas certain quarries are now held under Crown leases at fixed rents, and it is expedient that the said tenements should be rated in a uniform basis, it is hereby resolved by this Council that the percentage in valuation of such quarries respectively, payable as rates, should be fixed at seven per cent. irrespective of the locality of such quarries." Originally there were various forms of licences, the present time all these quarries are held by different tenure, by leases, and they are rated. The question then arises as to how they should be rated. The Assessor of Rates came to see me the other day, feeling himself to be in a difficulty about the matter. Some of them are now paying 7 per cent. and he felt a difficulty, having regard to section 29 of the Rating Ordinance, which says that in certain places rates shall be so placed-in the City of Victoria 13 per cent., in Yaumati so much, 124 per cent.. for instance- and other places generally 7 per cent. Some of those quarries are paying 7 per cent. and if we do not pass this resolution it seems to me that it will be objected that those paying 10 or 12 per cent. do not get any, more protection or advantages than the others) and this would naturally raise a good deal of feeling. Those paying the higher percentage would say that they did not get any special police protection or special lighting and that it was rather hard to have to pay more than the others. It was therefore recommended by the Treasurer, and at all events by the Assessor of Rates, that there should be a uniform rating of quarries of per cent. That is the minimum rate, and it seems to me a very fair thing. The only reason why the matter has not been mentioned before is that I only saw the Assessor a fow days ago and had not time to give notice of motion. The power is given to this Council to alter from time to time the rates provided for by sections 29 and 30. Some of these quarries have not yet been assessed at all this year and will be assessed this year for the first time, Therefore I beg to make this motion which I have just read.
The ACTING COLONIAL TREASURER second- ed, and the motion was agreed to.
NEW TEREITORIES REGULATION.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL made the following motion as to Ordinance No. 12 of 1899:-
Whereas, by section 6 of the New Territories
The RGISTRAR-GENERAL seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
LATRINE AT HUNGHOM.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL made the following motion under section 64 of Ordinance No. 13 of 1901" Whereas application has been duly made by the Sanitary Board to the Governor under section 61 of the Public Health Ordinance, 1902, for the erection of a public latring at the North-West end of the Crown Lot to the South of Hunghom Inland Lot No. 233: And where- as, such application having been approved by the Governor, and a notification of the intention to erect a public latrine upon such site having ben duly published in three successive numbers of the Gazette, certain owners of property in the immediate vicinity of such site have objected to such erection: And whereas the objections so made hare been considered by this Council: It is hereby resolved by this Council that the above-mentioned site and the erection thereon of a public latrine be approved." In moving the resolution the ATTORNEY-GENERAL said · Last year
a petition, signed by a large number of the inhabitants of this Colony, and dated 25th June, 1901, was presented, to be forwarded to the Rt. Hon. the Secretary of State for the Colonies, asking for the appoint- ment of a commission to investigate and report on the sanitary condition of Hongkong. That petition in pars. 19 and 20 pointed out the need of, amongst other things, more latrines. It quoted a speech of the Medical Officer of Health at a Sanitary Board meeting last year where he referred to a letter of the Acting Colonial Secretary written in 1990, who wrote- "It is easy to recommend the erection of urinals and latrines but not easy to find sites for them"; and it also mentioned instances in which the Government had failed to carry out the recom- mendations of the Board with regard to the erection of public latrines. When, however, the Government takes energetic action to meet the wishes of the community by endeavouring to carry out the recommendations of the Sanitary Board with regard to latrines, it is at once opposed by the landowners in the vicinity, and this in spite of the fact that this public latrine is proposed to be put up for the benefit of the inhabitants in its neighbourhood
|
|
157
on 9th
and to be erected on Crown Land. This ques. tion is not a new one. Everyone knows that latrines are not specially pleasant things to talk about, or to see, nor are they agreeable to one's sense of smell; but in the peculiar conditions of Hongkong they are absolute necessities, It was for this reason that special legislation was required and as the law atauds this Council has been made the umpire between the public and the lot-holders as to whether a latrine recommended by the Sanitary Board is to he erected or not, if objections to such erection are sent in writing to the Colonial Secretary within a certain time after the publication in three successive numbers of the Gazette in English and Chinese of a notification specifying the site and announcing the intention of the Government to erect a public latrine thereon. In the present case the facts are shortly these. One knows that Hunghom has a large number of inhabited houses with more in process of erection. The need there for latrine accom- modation is urgent. Accordingly, August, 1901, the Sanitary Board recommended to the Colonial Secretary that one should be erected on the west side of Gillies Arenne on an available plot of Crown Land. The Land Investment Company objected to this site in a letter dated the 24th September, 1901, on twɔ grounds-(a) that it would depreciate the value of a lot they had recently purchased; (b) that Gillies Avenue is the principal landing place of Hunghom and that the latrine would be a nuisance to the public landing there. The Sanitary Board endeavoured to meet the objectious and recommended, on 7th November, 1901, that the site be shifted to the north-west extremity of the Crown Lot. To this, however, the Land Company again objected, although the Colonial Secretary in his letter of 7th November, 1901, stated as follows:-"I am to point out, however, that the necessity for the crection of public latrines is occasioned by the fact that the owners of property do not provide latrines in their houses," and pointed out that if the owners would provide latrine accommodation in the houses the erection of the public latrine might not be found necessary. Well, in reply, the Company said they could not agree that it was desirable to put latrines in this class of houses. They suggested another site north of Hunghom Inland Lot 228. The objection, ́ however. to this was that it would be 200 to 300 yards distant from a considerable aggregation of houses which the latrine was intended to serve. The Sanitary Board considered the suggestion and decided to still recommend the site before mentioned.
Governor in Executive Council then went carefully into the matter, and on 10th January it was resolved by the Governor in Council that this resolu- tion on ler Section 64 of the Public Health Ordinance should be moved in this Council. I trust that the resolution will be carried unani- mously. In such matters the tenants and the public should be considered as well as the lot-holders.
'The
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS seconded, and the motion was carried unanimously.
REGULATIONS REGARDING BATS,
雙
A Bill entitled "An Ordinance to authorise the making of Regulations with regard to rats' was down on the orders of the day for first reading.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL having moved that it be read a first time, said-As this is a somewhat urgent thing, I beg to move that the standing orders be suspended so that. this Bill may be read a second and third time and passed.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion was carried.
In moving its second reading the ATTORNEY- GENERAL said-I do not think it is necessary to say anything about this measure except to state the objects and reasons. The object of this Ordinance is to enable such regulations to be made as may be deemed expedient to provide against the spread of plague-infection by rate. A seaport such as Hongkong is specially liable to this danger, having regard to the large number of vessels which enter the harbour and discharge cargo.
The COLONIAL SE BETARY, in seconding the motion, said -I think it is most desirable, sir, that this Ordinance be passed to-day, aspecially as medical opinion all seems to be unanimous regarding the desirability of exter- mínating the rats to prevent the spread of plague,