150
WEIHAIWEI.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE MEDICAL REPORT FOR 1902.
(Daily Press, 23rd February.) The report of Dr. F. W. CLARK, Medical Officer of Health, for the year 1902, appears earlier in time than many of its predecessors. It is dated from the Sanitary Board offices on the 20th January and was laid before the Board at its last meeting. The report is full of interest, but is of such length that we are precluded from doing more than touching ou some of the salient points. To begin with we must note the constant growth of the Colony.
露
[February 28, 1903.
—a wonder.
As a fact when the opening of the Canal¡“ resumption of insanitary property, I have becomes an accomplished fact, the exigen- appended to this report a reprint of a (Daily Press, 24th Febuary.) cies of trade will compel the Unites States to draft-scheme drawn up by Mr. May, Mr. The future of Weihaiwei as a commercial afford the same facilities as are at present OSBORNE, and myself, some three years port is, of course, bound up with the action offered by the Suez route. Looking then“ ago, which may at least serve as a basis the British Government intends to take as merely to the trans-Pacific passage to China, for discussion when this question is again to its defence. From many points of view it will be seen that Weihaiwei will have "considered, and lead, I hope, to some the port offers advantages as a commercial a distinct advantage in point of accessibility | “ decisive action at no distánť “date” – We emporium not to be lightly thrown away; over the southern colony. Of course' it by trust that this suggestion of the Medical but in the present position of affairs in the no means follows that because Weihaiwei Officer of Health will not be allowed to Far East it would be the height of folly to must, if sensible counsels prevail, increase pass unheeded, for whether the scheme expect any considerable amount of capital and multiply, Hongkong need have any recommends itself or not to the authorities to be sunk in a port liable without notice fear of the competition being injurious to it is obvious that action of some kind in the to be bombarded by a Russian fleet from its interests. Hongkong from its position direction indicated cannot be longer delayed. Port Arthur. As a commercial harbour, must continue to be the emporium for all In connection with the general sanitary with the works we have already pointed out the Suez Canal traffic, and this must of conditions of Hongkong under its new con- as necessary for its protection as a powerful necessity include the whole or nearly the ditions it must be noted that Dr. CLARK naval base in northern waters, Weihaiwei whole of the Mediterranean trade. It must once more raises the question of the insuffi Bay is nearly perfect, affording as it does on also be always the terminus of au increas. ciency of public sanitary conveniences such the mainland ample accommodation foring amount of the Australian trade, as well as latrines and bath houses, which is of wharves, godowns and residences, without as of the whole of the Indian. In addition course accentuated by every advance in It is unnecessary. to the drawback of having to pay heavy port to this, Hongkong and Weihaiwei at the population here. dues and duties on entrance, as for the extreme south and north respectively must, emphasise the extent of the recent advance. future will be the case in all Chinese ports. when in free hands, develope an enormous The census of January, 1897, gave the In this respect Weihaiwei stands in the amount of local trade. In every way, look-population as 248,880; that of January, 1901, same position as Hongkong There is, it ing at the affair in a broad and Imperialas 283,975 (exclusive of the New Terri- may be said, absolutely no local trade with light whether we consider Weiliaiwei tories); while the estimated population at the interior, the portion of the Shantung from a military, or from a commercial he middle of 1902 was 311,824-
ful increase, Peninsula lying close by being very re- standpoint-we must see in the new posses. stricted in area, and of itself offering no sion the natural supplement to Hongkong, This population is essentially a male adult commodities for export. On the other hand each being in its own way especially suited one, no less than 72.9 per cent. of the Chinese it is most admirably situated for a distrito meet the natural needs of the other. and 62.5 per cent, of the non-Chinese civil buting centre, being in immediate connection
population being male, and more than half with and almost equally distant from ench
the civil population being between the ages. of the ports of entry of the Gulf of Pechili.
of 20 and 45. The proportion of males at Talienwan, the mouth of the Yalu River,
the census taken in 1897 was, among the Newchwang, Chingwantao, Taku, Yangcheo
Chinese 70,9 per cent., and among the non- Keo at the mouth of the Yellow River,
Chinese 58.6 per cent., and the reduction in Laicheo-fu and Chefoo, are all important
the proportion of women both among contributing ports; none of them capable
Chinese and non-Chinese is, Dr. CLARK of being reached by ocean steamers, but all
considers, the direct result of the greatly enhanced cost of living of late years, and accessible to coasting craft. In addition to
the increasing difficulty in obtaining suit- these Chinese ports, equally accessible are
able accommodation for families. This is a the ports on the west coast of Corea, up to this time strangely neglected by British
striking corroboration of the complaints steamers, Pingyaog, Chemnulpo, Mokpo, &c.,
which we hear on every side. As to surface- and of all these Weihaiwei is the natural
crowding Dr. CLARK's remarks still more The domestic buildings, ex-demand attention. He says:-" I have in centre. As trade is at present conducted, Shanghai has become the distributing centre clusive of barracks and police stations, now
“previous reports called attention to the for the Gulf ports; but Shanghai though number 9,234, including 920 non-Chinese
acute surface crowding which exists in the more central districts of the City. Dis well suited as a trading port is wanting in buildings, the European dwellings on the
trict No. 5 shows more than 800 persona the facilities possessed by Weihaiwei, as it Peak still being put down as some 130. is precluded from direct access with the This shows an increase of 48 non-Chinese
to the acre, while Districts 6, 9, 4, 7 and 8 smaller ports; and even
with Tientsin dwellings as compared with the previous" are also far too densely packed with human beings, and it is essential to the and Chefoo, the only ports capable of trad. year, and an increase of 140 Chinese
welfare of this Colony that a remedy ing with Shanghai direct, the comparative dwellings. The plans of 808 new buildings smalluess of the steamers necessitated and of alterations to 1,833 existing buildings
should be speedily found and put into causes the charges from Shanghai to the port have passed through Dr. CLARK's hands
operation for this insanitary condition. So far as I have been able to ascertain, of delivery frequently to exceed the cost of during the year, with a view to seeing that
“there is no other city in the world which conveyance from Europe. Of course, on the they complied with the Public Health other hand, in favour of Shanghai is the Ordinances; these figures include, as
"bas 132 persons to the acre, and yet this is fact that all steamers trading with Europe former years, many alternative plans and "the density of population of the City of Victoria as a whole, that is to say, includ- make use of the Suez Canal, and carry their ainendiments to rejected plans. During the cargo optional for Hongkong or Shanghai, previous year plans of 1,369 new buidings
ing all the outlying vacant lands, and the The Chinese, too, with their trading and of alterations to 1,497 existing buildings villages, Race Course, and cemeteries in "No. Ï Health District, the public gardens instincts always gravitate to the largest were received, so that the records of the
"und all the vacant military land in Nos. ports, where the amount of goods centred past year show a considerable decrease in
"2 and 3 Health Districts, and all the affords them a wider choice and enables the number of new buildings planned, and
limit them to make a larger market. This | a fairly large increase in the number of altora.
upper "unoccupied hill-side below the position of affairs cannot be looked upon as
tions to existing buildings. With the growth " of the City Health Districts (ie., about permanent. The trade of the Gulf of of the Colony the most important matter is ** 450 feet above high water mark). Glas- gow, which is the most densely crowded of Pechili is sufficiently great, and its nature naturally its sanitary condition, and 1902
"the large cities of the United Kingdom, sufficiently distinct from that of the Yang- should inark a turning point in the history
"has but 61 persons to the aore. It will taze provinces, to favour direct importation; of this, cousequent upon the visit of Pro-
"also be seen from the first table that especially when the difference of trade fessor SIMPSON and Mr. CHADWICK, charges between shipping to a free tra le Public Health and Buildings Bill, gradually and transhipping at a Chinese port like approaching its final form, is looked to as Shanghai is taken into account. This promising steady improvement in sanitary difference will be still further increased in conditions. In conjunction with better con- the not distant future, when the opening of struction of new buildings, resumption of in- the Panama Canal, now being seriously sanitary properties and removal of obstrue- tiken in hand by the United States Gov. tive buildings must go hand in hand. Dr. CLARK writes :-" Such an undertaking, in ernment will emphasise the advantage to Great Britain of having in North China a
"other cities, has almost always been "carried out by a Trust, instituted for the poct of distribution equally well suited to the requirements of trade, as she at present possesses for South China in Hongkong.
"
in
The
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14
purpose, and as the time appears now tɔ "be ripe for some elaborate schenie of·
44
st
Health Districts 2 and 9, in which dis- tricts the outbreaks of bubonic plague “almost invariably commence and are the must severo, show the greatest numbɔr of "occupants per floor, namely, 8.8 and 9.0 as compared with an average for the City “ of 7.4; this, in itself, is excessi‹e, although “ well within the limit of thirty square feet "of floor space per head, which is all that is at prosent legally required in 'any * dwelling in the Colony, except within the European District Reservation area, where