August 1, 1903.
Mr. BEWETT-Yes; my amendment is to negative the proposal.
Mr. POLLOCK supported the remarks of Mr. Hewett. There was no doubt, he thought, that in order to get mattha thoroughly threshed out it was advisable that they should be discussed and deliberated by the whole Board.
On a vote being taken by a show of hands, the President, Vice President, Captain Lyons, Colonel Webb and Mr. Rumjahu (5) _voted for the motion and Mr. Messer, Mr. Fung Wa Chun, Mr. Pollock, Mr. Hewett and Mr. Lau Chu Pak (5) voted against.
The PRESIDENT gave his casting vote in favour of the motion and it was accordingly carried.
2. The drainage of 148 houses has been completed, leaving 709 to carry forward.
3. Notices for repairs or alterations to the drains of 84 houses have been received, 94 were carried forward from 1902, and 60 from last quarter, making a total of 238 in hand during the quarter. Of these 127 have been completeit and 4 cancelled, leaving 107 to carry forward.
4. Certificates have been granted under section 84 of Ordinance 13 of 1901 to 105 h uses, that they have been built in accordance with the provisions of that Ordinance.
5. The drains of 10 houses have been opened and reported on. Of these 8 required amend ing, and 2
were found to be in good order Notices were serred on the owners of the above 8 houses calling on them to execute the necessary work.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
are SO
હૈ!
8
the poor who will be displaced and to compen- be erected or, if already existing, allowed to houses, without which in the sense of the which was included in the cloalated ares sale owners for structural alterations of their remain nearer than four feet to any window are definition of external air no rooms or cubicles specified in Sub section E; therefore the can be maintained or erected in about 90 Legislature in 1901 expressly laid it down as a per cent, of the existing hanses both Euro-prinsi, le that it was not advisable to have pean and Chiness alike. meeting held by the Bard to discuss the should be erected or if already existing should At the confidential cubicles built round windows and no partition advisability of enforcing the Ordinance it was be allowed to remain nearer than four feet to any then speculated that the property-owners might window. Therefore the practical effect obviously arrive at some scheme or would, as the Govern of Section 154 of Ordinance 1 of 1903 would be ment had been led to be'ieve, pull down every ¦ that if it was desired to maintain cubicles on third house so as to facilitate the carrying out of the law. But it his since been proved that necessary in the case of family hous s-every the floors at all-nd no doubt that was very the property-owners had not the least inclian; single cubicle which was either originally in tion to follow that idea and I do not blame them conformity with Ordinance 13 of 1901 or which SANITARY SURVEYOR'S REPORT. The report of Mr. J. Bryan, Sanitary law inflio's a certain amount of hardship, but with that law would, as it seemed to him, be for repudiating it without compensation. Every afterwards was altered and made to conform Surveyor, for the second quarter of 1903, was aid on the table. The report was as follows: —
no hardship would be anything like what ilegal under the provisions of Section 154 of Or- 1. Plans have been dep.sited and passed by dinance
is likely to be inflicted by the present Ordinance 1 of 1903. That meant that alterations me during the quarter for the drainage of 90 Chinese, aud their tenement houses
The majority of the population is
which had been made very little more than two houses, plans for 73 houses were carried for- peculiarly constructed that every storey is s'mply illeg.1, and something further had to be done. years ago were now declared to be wrong, to be ward from 1902 and 54 from last quarter-one long room, commonly called a floor or fit. That was a very unsatisfactory state of affairs making a total of 8 7 in hand during the The rent of each of such floors ranges from $8 into which they had got, and he thought it quarter.
mouth in the busiest part of the city. Very few the per month in the poorest districts to $75 per was very necessary that a sub-committee of Board should be appointed to look can afford to take a whole floor. Generally into the question of amending this Or three or four families sbar› it together. Under diuance with special reterence to this question the present Ordinance they cannot do so and of cubicles, There were same rent as four have been paying. This may into, but it was this question of cubicles that very likely two families will have to pay the points which also would require to be lookd no doubt other
be a secondary consideration as compared with was the burning question of the day, because have hitherto enjoyed. It is a well-known fact been served with reference to cer'sin houses the depriving them of the little decency they be understood that quite recently notices had that none of the existing Chinese tenement and that there were proceedings, some concluded, houses, with the exception of the corner ones,
some still pending, before the Polics Magistrate quently n› floor can be partitioned off to sacure opens directly into the external air, and conse.
with reference to cubicles. He did not know the necessary privacy to the men and women
whether the other members of the Board were of the different families living together. Even of the fact that it was obvious that Section 184 of the same opinion, but he thought that in view members of the same family must have a certain amount of privacy.
of the Ordinance would require some amendment, It wo ld not be iu it Way accordance with propriety for parents and
extremely desirable that after grown-up children or masters and servants
sufficient number of cases had been taken to herd together in full view of each other.
in the Police Court, constituting a test-ca&+8, The object of the Ordinance is to relieve not take any further proceedings with reference the Board should stay its hand and overcrowding, which increasing the habitable area for each adult, very great hardship if persons now had to can be attained by to cubicles. There was no doubt it would bз a
deprive people of th ir domestic privacy. as it his already been dou, and not to remove cubicles whicu in consequence of amend- There are other circumstances calling for by the Government were afterwards found not men's recommended by the Board and adopted prompt investigation. It is no use making a
to be illegal. That, he thought, would be a law which is beyond the ability of the people to very lamentable state of affairs and therefore it obey, even if they wish to."
was desirable that the Board at the present Mr. POLLOCK in moving Lis resolution said time should not take action in regard to Board, he thought, that the legislation which it must be apparent to every member of the cubicles but only take such action as Was necessary to bring certain points before the maintained in Ordinance 1 of 19.3 was unwork- was passed with reference to cubicles ant was Magistrate for his decision. Otherwise there was no doubt the people would feel very much able in practice. No doubt the Government when aggrieved if they had to remove cubicles which been under the impression that it passed Section 154 of that Ordinance musthave
were sanctioned by amendments that might b made on the Ordinance and which they would third house was likely shortly to be pulled down and that lateral windows were going to be made in amendments had been passed into law. He felt not have been compelled to remove if the the side-walls of the houses and that in that way the cubicles in the houses would receive light of this Ordinance, but he was perf ctly well bound to make this criticism upon the provisious and air. That was no doubt the impression in
aware, and he was sure they were all aware, the minds of the Government when that section that it was easy enough to criticise and a was passed, but he thought it was quite obvious good deal more difficult sometimes to remedy now that every third house was not likely to be the thing criticised; but he thought that, The following motion stood ou
pulled down under existing sr angements, and, without being too sanguine, he might express agenda-paper against Mr. Pollock's name :--
furthermore, he believed it was extremely his confidence that the sub-committee of "That a Sub-committee of the Board
doubtful whether it would be safe in the case
the Bard would hit upon a better scheme appointed to consider what amendments appear third house.
of old houses in the Colony to pull down every
with reference to cubicles and would be able to to be desirable in the Public Health" and
This Buildings Ordinance, 1903, and to report imagine that in the
Colony was subject suggest to the Government some amendment t typhoons and heavy rains and he of Section 154 which would press less hardly thereon to the Board?
case of old honse ?·
upon the poor people in this Colony who were Mr. A. Rumjabn minuted :—" of the Ordinance require amending. The Many sections
the taking down of every third house would married and had families and wanted a certain be 8 very dangerous operation unless amount of separation and privacy in their dwell- * total abolition of cubicle, including those
some very expensive methods were employed ings. He would rather not move the names of provided with windows opening into the open
to prevent the houses on each side from collaps. any members of the sub-committee as he proposed air, is not the object aimed at by the framersing into the wildle and thereby creating a worse
that he himself should serve on the committee, of the Bill, but has the effect of inflicting
but he ventured to suggest as suitable members unnecessary hardships on the population, and
the President. Dr. Pearse, Mr. Lau Chu Pak, Mr. of endangering the prosperity of the Colony.
be able to discuss this matter thoroughly and be Rumjaha and bims lf. He thoughtt ey would. Unless a comprehensive scheme of reconstruct- ing our insanitary dwellings is adopted plague
to make such amendments in Section 154 as would hoped they would beable to advise the Government and kindred diseases will be always with us, and all monies expended to combat these diseases
preserve what was very necessary-the privacy will be only thrown away."
of Chinese family life-while at the same time cubicles on the floors of the houses as would securing as far as po sible such distribution of meet to the greatest possible extent those sanitary requirements which they were all agreed were very necessary,
6. In addition to the above 7,653 houses have been inspected with the result that 43) drainage nuisances have been discovered. Notices have been served in each case ou the owner or occupier to abate the nuisance. 44 nuisances have been reported to the M. O. H. and 35 to the Hon. D. P. W to be dealt with by them. 66 choked drain-traps on private property have been cleared by the Drainage Inspectors.
7. The records have been maintained and are complete..
Mr. Pollock minuted the query why it was that the drainage plans of so many houses were carried forward; was it due to insufficiency of the staff?
The PRESIDENT said this was not due to insufficiency of staff, but frequently plans were sent in some years even before the work was completed, and a certificate could not be given until the house was properly finished. The Surveyor had told him that he had just inspected some houses in Seymour Road for which the plans were sent is in August, 1901, and which were not yet completed.
The report was adopted.
THE NEW PUBLIC HEALTH AND BUILDING
.. ORDINANCE,
Mr. Lau Chu Pak minuted
the
be
I have
great pleasure in supporting the motion. As the Ordinance stands at present it is impossible and unreasonable to expect the inhabitants to conform themselves to its require ments. No provision lias been made to house
every
of the fact that it was not likely that every state of affairs than existed at present. In view Section 154 of this Ordinance, assuming that third house would be taken down; the effect of
would be that cubicles could be crowded round the Magistrate held partitions to be legal at all, the windows, and all the rest of the floor which was not taken up by the cubicles would be vary dark, very badly ventilated,and, one might say, Now, this was as different as almost anything practically useless for any purpose whatsoever, could be from the scheme which was passed by the Legislature as late as 1901. In Ordinance 13 of 1901, Sub-section G of Section 70, it was expressly provided that no partition should
Mr. HEWETT seconded the motion. Whilst it was unwise to rush tanzion into criticism of