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his attention having been drawn to this report, he is investigating it thoroughly. and I think that this Conucil may very well trust the Director of Public Works to make that investigation a very searching oue.
Hon. Mr. PLAYFAIR-Sir, I quite agree with the hon. Colonial Secretary. I have not any special desire to press this resolution to a diri- sion, as publicity has already been given to the matter, and I would ask my seconder's loave not to press the resolution to a voto, but at the same time I hope that the Government will see that there has been a very great deal of truth
n what we have said.
HIS EXCELLENCY-You wish to withdraw the resolution?
Hon. Mr. PLAYFAIR-I withdraw the rega- lution.
HIS EXCELLENCY-I have no doubt the Director of Public Works will investigate the matter fully. I quite agree that it is an ex- tremely unfortunate thing that any misstate ment should be made or laid on the table of this house, but hou, members will have confidence that the Director of Public Works will sift this matter thoroughly.
THIRD READINGS.
On the motion of Hon. C. S. SHARP, sccouded by Hon. C. W. DICKSON, the Bill entitled an Ordinance to authorise the making of Bye-laws by the "Star" Ferry Company, Limited, was read a third time and passed. 1
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
On the motion of the ATTORNEY-GENEPAL, seconded by the COLONIAL-SECRETARY, the Bill entitled the New Territories Titles Ordinance was read a third time and passed. THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND BUILDINGS BILL.
On the motion of the ATTORNEY-GENERAT❘ seconded by the COLONIAL SECRETARY, the Councial went into committee on the Bill en- titled an Ordinancз to consolidate and amend the Laws relating to Public Health and to Buildings, and resumed consideration of its clauses ad seriatim.
In connection with cause 100, Hon. Mr. PLAYFAIR asked whether "cement-mortar" and "good lime should not be defined; should not there be a standard to say the exact proportions? The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS said there could be certain minimum proportions specified of cement or lime with mortar but it had never been done hitherto.
Hon. Mr. PLAYFAIR remarked that the result was that the town was tumbling down as fast as it could becanso builders did not use proper proportions.
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[December 15, 1902.
Glasgow Act the progressive steps are limited | present be was not prepared with the amend to 1 feet whereas in this they were 15 feat; and considering thatstories of houses were usually a little higher here than at hom · he thought it desirable to allow that slight increase.
IT- onsidered that several of the collapses were due to insufficient strength of walls.
HIS EXCEL'ENCY asked whether the diff. rence in thickness of the joints would make any differencs in the strength of the wa is ; would a quarter-iuch joint be stronger thau a three-quarter-inch joint?
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When clans 152, dealing with requirements as to cubicles in existing buildings, was reached, HIS EXCELLENCY said that they had
that calculated
the new regulali ns would remove from 30,00 to 40,000 people. But if only two cubicles woro to be allowed on a floor he was under the impression that at least 10,00 people would be removed.
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HFALTH ›ug. gested that the difficnty would be met by allowing three cubicles instead of two.
The DIRECTOR OF I UB I. WORKS-YOR, HIS EXCELLENCY said he asked the question
Sub-section 9 was as follows:-“ No cubicle because sometimes in his rambles in the early or room used for sleeping purposes shall bare a mornings he saw walls with join ings of three-less for area thau 10 square feet and a less quarters of an inch, and thought that might length or width than 7 feet." have something to do with the collapse of the wall.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL remarked that the opinion of the jury in the collapse enquiry was that the walls were not thick enough."
The CONIAL TREASURER-A jury. (Laughter )
common
The ATT RNEY-GENERAL-A commousense jury. (Laughter.)
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS proposed the following amendment to sub-section 2 of clause 101: -"The thickness of walls prescribed iu sub-section 1 of the section shall apply to stories not exceeding 15 foot in height and said height shall be measured from the centre of the flar joists to the centre of the ceiling joists. The wa is of any building containing stories of greater height than 15 feet shall be increased in thickness in roportion to such greater height." The whole of the first sentence to be deleted.
On the suggestion of IIon. Mr Su R, the
clauses was re-committed.
Sub-section 3 of section 162 had the following rubric:- Tie rods required for external walls more than 3 feet in length.”
Hon, Mr. SHARP, referring to the provision that tie rods should be placed not less thau 10 feet apart, said he had it on reliable authority that 10 feet seemed much too close, and the instanco had been brought up of a building already having st el joists built into the walls. 'This would still require to have additional tis rods 11 inches ́u diameter, every 10 feet.
HIS EXCELLENCY did not see how they could define theso terms. You might have the
number
and of parts yet get good mortar in one ca e and bad mortar |
in the other.
sam!
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The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WOn xз snid that was not intended. If a building was so cap- structed he should be perfectly willing to waive the provision of the tie rods provided the joist : had bolts securing them cirried through tha wall and washer plates on the end.
On the sugg stion of the ATTORNEY-GENERAL, an addition was made to the effect that the
Building Authority should have the power to modify the requirements of the section where necessary.
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Hon. Dr. Ho KAI proposed, and it was agreed, to add the following:-" Unless such cubicle or room has a window opening direct into the external: ir end having a total glazed area f not less than one-tenth of the floor area of such cubicle or room; in which case the floor area of such cubicle or room shall not be less than 64 square feet."
Bides the amendments given above, a num- ber of minor amendments were made on various clanses.
The Council adjom ned till to d ·Y
p.m.
HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on Frid y, afternoon in the Foard Room, Present:-Dr. J. M. Atkinson, Principal Civil Medical Officer (President); Colonel Hughes, R.A.M.C.; Mr. F. J. Badelcy, Captain Super- intendent of Police; Mr. C. McI. Messer, Acting Registrar General; Mr. E. Os' orre. Mr. Fung Wa Chun. Mr. Lau Chu Pak and Mr. G.-A. Woodcock (Secretary).
EXT. RMINATION OF MOSQUITOES. Correspondence was laid on the table relative to the extermination of mosquitoes This included a letter from Dr. J. C. Thomson.
On the proposal of Mr. OSBORNE, it was agreed that the letter question should he published in the Press. Dr. Thomson wrote as follows:-
"Hongkong, 25th October, 190!.
"Sir, I bave the honour to report for the information of His Excellency the Governor that I made a careful investigation of the nullah crossing MacDonnell Road and its neighbourhood with referonce to the presenco of the larvae of mosquitoes on the afternoons of yesterday and the previous day with results as follow: -
1.
The most easterly of the three nullahs, that passing on the east side of the Honourable Wei A Yuk's honse, is untrained and it swarms with anopheles larve throughout. I found a gang of coolies acting under the orders of the P.W.D. commencing the wok of filling in and levelling out the centre of the bed of the stream.
Hon. Mr. PLAYFAIR said he would suggest the addition to this clause of the provision that An amendment by Hon. Mr. PLAYF IR to the Building Authority or his assistants might section 105 (construction of fonudations) "that at any time cut a hole through a wall to ascertain such foundations shall in every caso he examin-holes whether or not it had been built solid through-ed by an officer specially deputed by the out.
Building Authority in that behalf before the trenches are filled"up" was withdrawn after discussion,
said that had
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL been provided for later on.
Clause 101 referred to the thickness of external walls.
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Hon. Mr. SHARP said ho had had a repre- sentation from Mr. Danby, whose name was mentioned during the second reading of the Bill BS one well qualified to give an opinion, that he thought the extra thickness of walls was really not required. Mr Dauby stated that in all his long experience he thought he could conscien- tiously say he had nover heard or known of a house collapsing which had been built in strict accordance with the present building regula tions." He should like to ask the Director of Public Works whether in his experience he could find instance where the present regulations had been strictly complied with and a house so built had collapsed? The Bill provided for a very considerable increase, and after the experience of last year it was the desire of them all to see every care taken to prevent sacrifica of life; his view was certainly favourable to a margin on the right side, but when a representation such as he had mentioned was made he thought it was entitled to some hearing aud consideration.
any
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS stated that the thicknesses embodied in the pressut Bill were practically those appearing in the Glasgow Building Act of 1900. It was almost a repetition. The only thing was that in the
In connection with c'ausa 123 (corbels to ba of stone or bricks) the following addition was made"The entire thickness of the wall throughout the height of such corbelling shall also be built iu cement-mortar."
To section 131 (material for coping, cornices. etc.) the following was added on the suggestion of the DIRECTOR of PUBLIC WORKS: Every projection constructed of combustible material other than stone shall be built in cemout-mortar and the catire thickness of that portion of the wall covered by such projection shall also be built in cement moriar."
索
In the case of clause 138, which provided that verandabs and balconies were not to be enclosed or obstructed, it was pointed out by the HARBOUR M STER that it would precinde a householder from even putting a chair out en his verandab. HIS EXCELLENCY said it was intended to apply to Chinese h uses in which verandabs,
Crown land, being over
were practically turned into rooms.
The clause was amended to exclude from its operation houses in the Europeau Reservation and the Hill District.
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS stated that when the re-committed clauses came up he intended to bring in an amendment with regard to balconies in narrow streets; at
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The next nullah is roughly trained with a stone pavement which offers many hollows where auopheles might readily breed. There was evidence of kerosene having been used, and I was not able to demonstrate their presence below Bowen Road at the Ivel the training ceases, aud immediately above Bowen Road I found anopheles larvæ ibundant.
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The most westerly null h is much befier trained with a smooth bed for the stream made of a coarse concrete, and the result of my search was as in the last described nullah. Immediately above Bowen Road, larvæ were abundant.. Several branches of nullabs are at present dry.
"I also examined a great many puddles of water due to the oozing of water from the hill- sido or from the excavations on MacDonnell Road itself, bebind certain of the houses. and up on the level of Bowen Road. I fornd anopheles larvæ present in all of them except where there was evidence of kerosene haring ben used."
"A very interesting an 1 practically important circumstance came to my notice in my ex- amination of some of these roadside puddles. On the Bowen Road level where they are undisturbed, I found such collections of water literally swarming with both anopheles and culex larvæ; on MacDonnell Road they were free from larvae where oil had been adequately used, but there was a middle series, in which only a little kerosene was present covering the