214
NEW DUTCH STEAMSHIP SERVICE.
(Daily Press, 21st March.) The announcement that the Dutch Gov- erument is a contemplating monthly steam- ship service between the Netherlands Indies, Hongkong, Amoy, and Japan, will be received with satisfaction in the Far East. The addition of a new line of steamers for intercommunication between the various ports in this part of the world must always be a source of gratification both to mer- chants and to the ordinary traveller. Com- munication between the Dutch East Indies and this and northern ports in the past has not been of a character to foster the growth of trade, and the contemplated line will certainly fill a want. The financial question has doubtless been aimply considered by the Dutch Government. It may will be that the new steamship service well not prove an immediate success, but we do not believe that with the opening of China, which must follow the conclusion of the present com- mercial negotiations at Shanghai, the traders of the Netherlands Indies will find it impossible to take good advantage of the new state of affairs. The Dutch Govern. ment, it would rather seera, has shown itself provident; and at the same time the rest of the world will be benefitted by the increased facilities of intercommunication created by the proposed line of steamers.
HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on the 20th inst. in the Board Room, Present: -Dr. J. M. Atkinson, Principal Civil Medical Officer (Presideut); Hon A. W. Brewin, Registrar-General (Vice-President); Dr. F. W. Clark, Medical Officer of Health; Hon, W. Chatham, Director of Public Works; Mr. E. Osborne, Mr. F. J. ' adeley, Acting Captain Superintendent of Police; and Mr. G. A. Woodcock (Secretary).
RATS IN SHIPS.
your
In relation to the apparatus devised for the pumping of 802 gas into the holds of ships for the destruction of rats, the following letter of the 24th ult. was submitted from Mr. R. C. Wilcox, the Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce:-" I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of letter of the 28th ult., enclosing copy of a letter from the Clayton Fire Extinguishing and Ventilating Co., Ld, addressed to the Crown Agents, with whom the Government has recently been in communication with regard to an appara- tus devised for pumping SO2 gas into the holds of ships for the destruction of rats, it having been suggested that the use of such an apparatus on ships visiting Hongkong from plague infected ports might be useful in preventing rats from swimming ashore ; and requesting the committee to pive the proposal their consideration. The letter and enclosures have been placed before my committee, who have carefully considered the matter, and I am directed to state, in reply, that they do not see how, under the circumstances, the apparatus could be usefully employed here, at least as far as ships are concerned. In the first place, the use of this apparatus would inevitably involve de.ention of steamers, and consequent heavy expenses, and, in the second place, it would be impracticable, because in most cases vessels calling here have large quantities of cargo on board for ports beyond this. There would be few ships on which it would be used without greatly interf ring with trade."
THE KONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
that we should allow a matter which has been brought to our notice by the Home Government to be dropped. Of course, there will be diffi. culties in the way of all sanitary reform. And I think that we should, if necessary, go further into the question, more especially in regard to the disinfection of ships' holds where they make this their terminal port, that is to say, after all the cargo is ont and the passengers have left. And also, I think, we might very usefully ask Bombay to do the same there with the ships that ply between Bombay and this port. There are no very many of them. Bombay is, in regard to most of those hips, the first port of departure, aud therefore it would be a very simple matter for them to rid the ships of the rats before they leave. Furthermore, the cargoes that come from Bombay are mainly yarn-a cargo which lends itself to the secretion of rats in the holds of ships, and therefore possibly these rats may be landed here; and I think undoubtedly they came from Bombay in the case of the Bullaarat. Therefore, if Bombay would rid the ships of rats there and we took the same steps here and also took the same steps in regard to ships after they have finished discharging their cargo, we would do a great deal of good. I bag, therefore, to move that the Government be asked to provide the necessary apparatus, and afterwards, if we find that it is no use for the ships, I think it would be very usefully employed in our own drains.
The PRESIDENT-Before I say anything on the proposition I would point out that the two classes of vessels which the memorandum of the Medical Officer and the Local Government Board recommend should be treated with S02 gas are (1) those ships arriving here with plague on board or on which plague bas oc- curred; and (2) those ships that have come from places infected with plague. I would add that it be used on ships which use this as a terminal point.
Hon. Mr. CHATHAM-I do not quite under. stand the remarks Mr. Osborne bas made with regard to the use of this apparatus. He said in the course of his remarks that yarn was a very favourable type of cargo for harbouring rats, and he also said that this apparatus could be used for destroying rats in those ships after the cargo had been discharged. I presume, if the cargo is favourable for harbouring rats, the thing would be to use this apparatus before the cargo was discharged, not after that. I may be wrong, but it seems to me that the rats would be brought ashore with the cargo in such cases. Hou. Mr. BREWIN-What is the cost of this apparatus?
The PRESIDENT—£800.
I say
Mr. OSBORNE-What I intended was that a ship should be rid of rats at Bombay and this port-first of all, before the cargo is put in, and then after the cargo is put out bere. after the cargo is put out here, because I doubt very much as to the efficacy of this contrivance when a ship is full of cargo. When a ship is empty it is much more likely that the gas will bare a wholesale effect upon the rats, but not with the cargo in the ship.
The PRESIDENT-I am afraid if it is em ployed in a ship after she is empty the rats would all escape. I know in ports at which it has been used it is put in while the cargo is still in the hold. Then the argo is taken out and the rats are found dead after its removal. I think that is the principal reason why this should be used mainly on ships which use this as a terminal port. After the cargo is taken out you get the rats.
Mr. OSBORNE That is a matter of detail. It does not affect the principle.
Hon. Mr. BREWIN-With your permission, Sir, I will read the resolution of the Govern. ment of India upon the question of the danger of infection being spread by rats on ships. The Commission say that although theoretically it s possible that plague-infected rats might carry the disease from ous country to another, there is no evidence that infection bas ever been car gested fumigation of the holds of ships so as to destroy rats in both unnecessary and impracti- cable.
Mr. E. Osborne minuted." We must not allow the matter to be set aside, me:
me: ely because there are a few difficulties in the way.'
Lt.-Colonel Hughes minuted:-"I agree withried in this manner. They think that the sug.
Mr. Osborne."
The PRESIDENT seconded Mr. Osborne's motion.
Mr. E. OBORNE-I read through those papers, sir, with some interest, but at the same lime the opinions I have been able to form are somewhat vague as to the adequacy of the remedy and as to its real utility. I do On a division there voted for the motion- not think, simply because the Chamber of the President, Dr Clark and Mr. Osborne; Commerce says there are difficulties in the way, against-Mr. Brewin, Mr. Chatham, and Mr.
.
❘
[March 24, 1902.
Badeley. The motion was carried by the casting vote of the President.
CHOLERA IN CANTON,
The SECRETARY submitted further corres- pondence relative to the outbreak of cholers in Canton.
The PRESIDENT--I may state that I have been in communication with Dr. Ringer con- ceruing this presumed outbreak of cholera at Canton, and he informs me that there has been no fresh case since Friday last amongst Euro- peans and that the disease appears to be confined to Honam, as far as he can noderstand.
PLAGUE MATSHED AT YAUMATI, The SECRETARY laid on the table an applica- tion by the Hongkong and Kowloon Wharf and Godown Co., Ld., for permission for a private plague hospital matshed, and also a matshed for attendants-both of them to be erected close to the Yaumati Plague Hospital and to be under the supervision of an European doctor..
In connection with this application there was submitted a minute by the Medical Officer of Health on a previous similar application, in which he stared that he had no objection to raise to the principe, but the site must be most carefully selected and the sanitary arrange- ments of the hospital must be under the care and authority of a duly registered medical practitioner. approved by the Board; the hospital should also be subject to the Board's approval.
The PRESIDENT--I move that this application be granted under the same conditions as were imposed in the previous instance.
Dr. CLARK seconded,
Hon W. CHATHAN-There is only one small matter in connection with this application, and it is that the land on which the hospital stands is not Crown land but is privately owned, and it will be necessary for the Godown Co. to make an arrangen ent to get permission to erect their hospital there. The Government actually pays rent for the use of the site on which the hospital stands at present.
The motion was agreed to.
PREVENTION OF DISEASE.
A
Dr. CLARK, in pursuance of notice, moved :- That the Board delegate to Select Committee, consisting of the President, the Vice-President, and the Medical Officer of Health, full powers to enforce all the provisions of the bye-laws for the prevention or mitiga- tion of epidemic, endemic, or contagious disease' made nador section 13 of the Public Health Ordinance of 1901." He said-This is purely to avoid the necessity of calling a meet- ing of the Board every time a case of plague The Board are aware that certain
occurs.
action has been taken this year by virtue of bye-laws giving the Board further powers, and under the Public Health Ordinance the Board
have power to delegate their full powers for certain purposes to a committee. I think the Board will agree that at the hands of the President, the Vice-President and myself every care will be taken not to inflict hardship on the public and at the same time to protect the health of the community.
Hon. W. CHATHAM seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
DISINFECTING OPERATIONS.
Dr. CLARK, in terms of notice, moved :- "That the Board define that portion of the City of Victoria between the Conduit and Robin- son Roads as local limits within which offloers of the Board shall make a house-to-house visita- tion for the purpose of cleansing and disinfect- ing the premises contained therein in accord- ence with Bye-law No. 1 of the Bye-laws for the prevention or mitigation of epidemic, endemic or contagious disease, made under section 13 of the Public Health Ordinance No. 13 of 1901." He said-This is simply an extension of the district in which we are presently doing the boase-to-house cleansing and disinfection. In regard to these houses, we are practically only dealing with the Chinese servants' quarters and not with the European dwellings, unless of course they are in an insanitary condition.
Hon. W. CHATHAM seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
CLEANSING GANGS,
The report of the work of the cleansing gangs during the fortnight ended 8th March showed that the number of houses dealt with was, 12 0; the number of floors fumigated wa