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MR. CHADWICK'S REPORT. Mr. Osbert Chadwick, the sanitary expert, has issued his preliminary report upon sanita- tion in Hongkong. His conclusions are as follows:
(a) The sewerage system has been carried out, in general accordance with the principles laid down by myself in 1890.
(b) On the whole the system is working well though there are some defects, not however difficult to remedy.
(d) The entrance of improper solids into the sewers is principally due to two causes want of care in scavenging and improper construction of the sewer gulleys.
(e) Sewer-gulleys ought to be 11apped and provided with close barred. gratings.
(f) Flushing is sufficient in the upper and steeper parts of the sewerage system.
THE KONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
REPORT OF THE COMMISSION,
The report of the Commission appointed to enquire into the Public Works Department of Hongkong was laid on the table at the meeting on the 10th inst. of the Legislative Council,
as follows:----
were
1. A Commission was appointed by is Ex- cellency the Governor to enquire into the Public Works Department on the 11th October last,
2. The Commissioners originally appointed (c) Deposit accumulates in the low-level
as follows-Honourable J. H. Stewart sewers. This is not sewage, but road detritus
Lockhart, C.M G. (Chairman); Honourable and other solid substances, which ought not to. E. Pollock, K. C.; Honourable J. Thorburn; enter the sewerage system.
Colonel L. F. Brown, R. E.; Robert G. Shewan, Esq. Owing to his having to leave the Colony, the Honourable H. E. Pollock resigned his seat on the Commission, and Mr. G. C. C. Master Mr. E. D. was appointed to fill the vacancy. C. Wolfe was appointed Secretary. The first meeting was held on the 18th October, 1901, and the last on the 18th March, 1902. Ten meetings were held altogether. An unavoidable
examine delay, arose, as it was deemed advisable to a witness Mr. Chadwick, the Sanitary Expert, who only arrived in the Colony on the 28th of February and did not appear before the Commission until the 13th of March. Thirty witnesses in all were examined by the Commission, including all the Senior Officers and Overseers of the Public Works Department and most of the leading Engineers and Architects engaged in private practice in are brought into intimate the Colony, who relations with that Department.
This is,
(9) More use should be made of the water of nullahs for flushing purposes, but this should be reserved mainly for the dra'ns,
(h) It is probable that salt-water flashing is desirable for the low-level sewers. however, a question, upon which I must reserve my opinion, pending futher investigation.
(2) The materiale and appliances now used for house-sowers ara of indifferent quality. Pipes should be inspected and tested at a depot, before A supply f standard goods should be imported.
use.
(3) The whole drainage system requires careful reform. All uubicessary covered drains should be abolished.
(2) To avoid division of authority, bringing about to some extent the evils described under (c), it is desirable that the maintenance, that is cleansing and flashing of the sewerage system bo transferred from the Public Works Depart- ment, which has a miserab'y insufficient staff. to that department of the Sanitary Board, which has the supervison of the scavenging (the Medical Officer of Health). Under the expression drain I mean and include all storm-water chan- nels and pullahs whether covered or open, within the urban area.
(1) The transfer of the maintenance of sewers and dra ns from the Fublic Works Department to the Sanitary Board will 1 ot necessitate any material augmentation of the staff.
(m) New work and structural alterations in connection with sewers and drains should be carried out by the Public Works Department, as heretofore.
BR
3. The Commission made a careful enquiry into the duties and responsibilities of the Public Works Department with a view to being in a position to report on the matters specially referred to it, viz. :
(a) The constitution and sufficiency of the
staff.
(b) The advisability of increasing such staffor
of making any changes in its persounel. (r.) Generally what changes should be made in the working of the Department. 4-5. A careful perusal of the evidence taken by the Commission will show that it is clear that the stuff, as at presont constituted; is not sufficient to discharge efficiently the varied and important duties entrusted to it.
6. An instructive Statement is attached by Mr. Chatham to his Report of the 25th September, 1901, in which he makes pro- posals for increasing the staff of his Depart- That statement shows the amount of ment. estimated and actual expenditure on account of 1) Scavenging is efficiently performed, sav-public works from the year 1894 to 19.0 and ing as regards the matter referred to under (I). | reveals the fact that during the period under (0) As regards surface crowding and insani- review, owing to insufficiency of staff, it has not tary dwellings, the state of the town is rather worse than it was twenty years ago.
(p) No amount of external sanitation will absolutely avoid the recurrence of epidemics, so long as a large proportion of the dwellings are insanitary and overcrowded.
been possible to expend the money yot d in the Estimates..
The Director of Public Works states :- "From this statement it will be seen that the estimated expenditure for 1901 is almost exactly double the actual expenditure for 1894, whilst (q) To improve insanitary dwellings extensive the estimates for 1902 show an increase of resumption and re-construction will be neces-880,000 over those of 1901. Comparing the
sary.
(r) Resumption and re-construction cannot be remunerative, so long as full market. prices are paid for insanitary property.
(s) If on new areas, only sanitary buildings are to be erected, the value of the land will be decreased.
(t) The Public Works staff is much under- | man. manned in every branch, both technical und clerical.
estimates for 1902 with the actual expenditure for 1897, when the staff numbered 10, the increase is seen to be nearly $400,000, whilst the staff has been increased by one solitary member, consisting at the present tim of the Assistant Director of Public Works, 3 Executive Engineers, 6.Assistant Engineers, and 1 Drafts- I must be unnecessary for me to point out that the expenditure for this year will fall for short of the estimated amount, notwithstand ing the fact that all the drawings required iu The proclamation allowing marriage between connection with the Law Courts and the Manchus and Chinese and advising the disuse of Governor's Peak Residence, and the requisition the foot-binding custom has been posted up at for materials for the same, are being supplied Ichang. There are very few large-footed women by outside architectural firms. Equally, it will in this part of China. The foot-binding custom be impossible for the Department to overtake is universal. Already, through the influence of the programme of works drawn up for 1902, the Christian Church, many Christian families naless it be materially strengthened without do not bid the feet of the girls. We delay. In this way, works which are considered sympathise, says the N.-C. Daily News, with of great urgency are falling into arrear, and if those who have not moral courage to neglect the Department is not to be rendered capable this custom, as large-footed girls can't find of keeping pace with the greatly increased husbands and have also much abuse to endure demands upon it, the consequence to the Colony from cutsiders. Perhaps this proclamation may generally will be most serions." stop the reviling of large-footed women and 7. The Commission is of opinion that this girls. If only the richer families took up the statement shows clearly that the staff is rot subject and gave up the onstom, foot-binding | sufficient to carry out the works entrusted to would soon be a thing of the past.
it. But that opinion is also supported by the
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[April 21, 1902.
evidence of Mr. Chatham and the other members of his staff who were examined as witnesses, and also by the evidence of the engineers and architects in private practice. Mr. Chatham and the other members of his staff in their evidence show, beyond a doubt, that work is neglected owing to the department being undermanned, and the engineers and architects complain of unnecessary delays to which they have been subjected and which are acknowledged by Mr. Chatham as due to in- sufficiency of staff and want of time to overtake the increasing amount of work. Mr. Chadwick also is of opinion that the staff is cot sufficient, and requires to be increased.
RECOMMENDATIONS AS TO STAFF.
8. The Commission, being satisfied not only of the absolute necessity in the interests of the Colony that the staff should be increased in order to overtake the work entrusted to it, begs to make the following recommendations as to
increase and change in the personnel of the
Department.
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS.
9. It is clear from the evidence taken that ̈ the Director of Public Works is at present so overwhelmed with his duties that he is tied to his desk and has no time for the work of super- vision, which, in the opinion of the Commission, is of supreme importance if the Department is to be carried on efficiently. Indeed, the Com- mission is unable to understand how the work of the Department can be performed thoroughly and effectively in the absence of such supervision. The Commission, therefore, strongly recom- mends that steps be taken at once to relieve the Head of the Department of all routine work and other duties which can be discharged by the Assistant Director of Public Works. Mr. Chatham is of opinion that such a course will enable him to devote time to the exercise of general supervision, which, in the opinion of the Commission, is essential,
ASSIST NT DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS. 10. Owing to the promotion of Mr. Chatham to be Director of Public Works, this post is at present vacant. The Commission recommend that the vacancy be filled without delay and that the officer selected for the post should be one of experience and activity and possessed of powers of organisation.
MAINTENANCE OF BUILDINGS, ROADS, ETC.
11. Mr. Chatham is of opinion that an addi- tiobal Assistant Engineer should be appointed to assist in maintenance work generally, in- cluding roads, and that auother European ronds inside the City of Victoria. Overseer should be appointed to supervise the The evidence showed that the staff, as at present constituted, is not sufficient to exercise proper supervision over the roads, and the Commission is, therefore, in favour of in- mission took a great deal of evidence creasing the staff as proposed. The Com- regarding the unsatisfactory condition of the roads, especially in the City of Victoria. The evidence regarding roads shows that read-making in this Colony is not an easy matter, and that opinions vary as to the best mode of, constructing roads, and the most suitable materials to be used in such constrac tion. Amidst such a variety of opinion it is difficult to arrive at a definite conclusion, but, a the present condition of the roads cannot be regarded as satisfactory, the Commission would urge the necessity of every attempt being made to bring them into a state creditable to the Colony. In view of the evidence of Mr. Chadwick as to the asphalt road laid under his instructions at Malta, which has worn so well, and of the evidence of other witnesses as to the desirability of giving wood pavement a trial, the Commis- sion recommends that a portion of a road in a busy thoroughfare be laid with asphalt and another portion with wood pavement wit view to ascertaining whether roads constructed of either material are likely to prove a success in this Colony. The attention of the Director of Public Works should also be directed to the evidence given before the Commission regarding roads, as the prepo: derating weight of that evidence tends to show that the present mode of constructing roads is faulty.
TELEGRAPHS AND TELEPHONES, 12. The evidence of Mr. Farrell makes it clear that he has not time to attend to the work involved in the laying and maintenance of tele, graphs and telephones in addition to the duties
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