+
December 5, 1903.]
MILK BUPPLY.
The Secretary laid on the table a minute by the Acting Medical Officer of Health Buggosting a new bye-law to the effect that vessels used for the reception and storage of milk shall be used exclusively for that purpos and no others.||
The PRESIDENT said it had been found that some of the vessels mand for storing milk were used for washing cattle. The M. O. H. thought it advisable that a new bye-law should be made to prevent this under Sub-section 19 of Section 16 of Ordinance 1 of 1993. He moved accord- ingly.
Mr. HBWERF suc›alǝd, and the motio agreed to.
CATTLE DISEASE.
was
There was submitted a minute by the C. V. 8.
reporting a case of anthrax in the Kennedy
Town Cattle Dapôt.
:
Mr. amjahn minuted:-"I thought suspected cattle were isolated. The fact that this animal was found dead in the shed where 39 other animals were kept shows that there had not be n any isolation."
The PRESIDENT stated that this was a disease that broke out very suddenly. As soon as it was discovered the C. V. S. put the other animals in the shed under observation. No other oases had occurred, and the usual steps had been taken.
CHOLERA AT NAGASAKI.
The PERSIDENT said that eight fresh cases of cholera had occurred at Nagasaki since the 11th ult. Ten cases were under treatment. 59 patients had been discharged as cured. He had seen in one of the local papers that the disease had practically ceased in Nagasaki; since then news to the contrary had arrivel from Japan and he thought they would not be justified in stopping the medical inspection of ships arriving here from that port.
MODIFICATION OF ORDIN INCE REQUIREMENTS,
An application for a modification of the re- quirements of Section 180 of Ordinance 1 of 1903 in-respect of certain houses proposed to be erected on I.L. 679 was laid on the table.
The M.O.H, approved the application ally.
The modification was granted.
STREET HAWKERS.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
The motion was agreed to.
WATER ANALYSIS,
The report on the public water supply by Mr. Frank Browns, the Government Analyst, showed that the water was of excellent quality.
LIMEWASHING.
The limewashing return showed that during the fortnight ended 24th ult. 2752 houses in the Central District and 254 in the Western had been dealt with.
BAT RETURN.
The rat return for the fortnight en led 30th November showed that 1,047 rats had been dos. troyed. Of these 13 were found to be infected. |
This was all the public business.
417
with the free movements of the vessel while in the harbour.
The Committee of the Chamber desire to point out that such a change would not apparently necessitate an alteration in the existing Dangerous Goods Ordinance, but might be effected by Regulations issued by the Governor in Council.
The Committee of the Chamber frust that on further consideration the Government will agree to making this concession; since as matters now stand a vessel with even only one. case of safety cartridges on board maɛt fly the red flag and must proceed to the Dangerous Goods anchorage unless per. mission to the contrary ba received from the Harbour authorities. This in most cases CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. wharf or her mooring. I have the honour tɔ HONGKONG GENERAL would mean the loss of several hours before the steamer can enter the harbour and proceed to a
At a Monthly Meeting of the General Committee of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce in the Chamber Room, City Hall on Tuesday, 17th November, at 3.45 pm Present Mr. E. A. Hewett (Chairman), Mr. D. R. Law (Vice-Chairman) Hon. C. W. Dickson, Messrs C. Michelau, N. A. Siebs, J. R. M. Smith, H. E. Tomkins, R. C. Wilcox, A. G. Wood, and A. R. Lowe (Secretary).
MINUTES.
The minutes of meetings held on the 6th, 17th, and 28th ult. ware read and confirmed.
EXPLOSIVES ON BOARD STEAMERS IN THE HARBOUR.
The following correspondence was read :- Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce.
Hongkong, 19th Octobor, 1903. SIB, I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your litter of the 22ad altimo, in wh.oh you state that the Governmout sees no sufficient reason for altering the law as sug- gested in my letter of the 16th ultimo with regard to the conditions under which a vessel with ammunition on board may enter this harbour.
While the Committee of this Chamber regret that it is difficult to combat the decision of the Government for ressons which have not been generexpressed. they are loth to let the matter rest without again urging on the Government the desirability of amending the existing regulations which they venture to submit do not conform to the modern necessities of the port with regard, to the treatment of goods in small quantities; these by the very fact of their being in small quantities place them outside the category of
Correspondence was submitted relative to the interference with the business of the market stalls by street hawkers.
The UV.S. wrote to the effect that for several months past he had had many complaints fr m dangerous goods." In the treaty poris of stallholders, in the markets regarding the China such quantities, viz., ammunition contain. interference with their business by street hawing in the aggregate not more than 100 lbs. of kers. These men not only sold on the street, ganpowder, or 21,000 rounds of cartridges, are outside the market limits, which they were
allowed to be carried by ships, as cargo, without allowed to do, but came within the limits, and in the latter being asked to conform to specia! many cases actually into the markets, and sold regulatious, and if these regulations are suffici. there. The Inspector of Markets had been in- ent in China, were of necessity this greatest structed to do his best to get rid of them, but
care has to be taken to prevent the illegal one officer was soon recognised by those people importation of munitions of war, it seems and by the time he got on the scue warning
to the Committee of the Chamber similar con- had been given and the hawkere had all dis-ditions might reasonably be asked for in a port appeared. In some cases, the C.V.S. believed the loss to the stall-bolders had been so
great that they had been obliged to give up their stalls. The number of hawkers in the Colony was large and there were many anlicensed. The market people seemed to have a legitimate ground of complaint. He would therefore ask that the police give a help to the Inspector of Markets and try to get rid of these hawkers within the market limits and in the markete themselves.
The PRESIDENT said this arose from a com- plaint by the C.V.8. The Captain of Police reported that there were 586" prosecutions against hawkers and 229 for hawking within the limits of the markets,
Mr. HEWETT said it appeared to him that the hawkers should be dealt with severely by the police.
The PRESIDENT-I think we may leave the matter in the hands of the police.
Captain LYONS-We will try to enforce the faw all we can.
OOW; DISS \88 IN A DAIRY. The President stated that disease had broken ut in Kennedy's dairy at East Point. The disease was formerly known as rinderpest. Further investigations were being made into its nature. One cow had died. He moved that the promises be declared infected.
which prides itself, an derives its prosperity to a very great extent, by reason of ifs freedom from the annoyance and delays attaching to those ports where custom houses exist
It appears to the Committee that it would be sufficient protection to the Colony if iustead of the red fig rule and the obligation to lie in the "Dangerous Goods" anchorage, it was simply required that the masters or agents of those ships carrying small quantities of ammunition deposit with the Harbour Master a declaration in writing giving particulars of the dangerous | goods carried, due notice also being furnished,| if thought desirable by the Government not only of all ammunition and explosives landed and shipped. but also of those retained on board in transit through the port.
1
The Committe of the Chamber are given to understand the flying of the red flag is desired by the Harbour authorities to enable them to readily take note of all the vessels in the port | having explosives on board.
If this is correct we would bg to suggsle that while the red flag be retained for all vessels with sufficiently large quantities of explosives on board to necessitate their being in the Dangerous Goods anchorage, another signal be❘ brought into use whiob, while conveying the necessary information to the Harbour author ities as to explosives on board, will not interfere
be, Sir, Your obedient servant,
(3d) EDBERT A HEWETT.
Chairman. Hon, F.H. May C.M.G., Colonial Secretary.]
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 24th October, 1903, SI,-I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 19th instant regarding the conditions under which a vessel carrying and to inform you that it has received the careful ammunition on board may enter this harbour,
attention of the Governor. His Excellency however is still of opinion that no such altera- tion of the law as is contemplated by your Chamber is necessary. As to the argument that delay is caused by having to obtain the harbour, the Government is informed by the Harbour Master's permission to enter the Acting Harbour Meter that in nine cases out of manifest of the dangerous goods on board ten the shipping agents sand him a copy of the before the arrival of the vessel in question, and upon receipt of such manifest bis instruc used by the present regalations in this tions are issued forthwith. No delay, therefore,
is
respact. there is any hardship involved in the fring
Finally, His Excellency fails to see that
of the red flag.
I have the honour to be Sir,
Your obedient servant,
(8d.) F. H. MAY,
Colonial Secretary.
Secretary, Chamber of Commerce. there is no hardship involved in the flying of The contention of H E, the Governor that
the red flag wis not agreed with, and it was decided to address the Government on the subject again.
QUABANTING AT BATAVIA,
of Chamber by the Colonial Secretary on 29th Read correspondence placed at the disposal altimo relating to the inability of the Govern ment of Netherlands In is to remove the restric- tions against arrivals from Hongkong until the port could be regarded as plague-free lu vention, The Chairman pointed out that a terms of Chap. II. Sec. 2 of the Venice Con-
notification appeared in the Government Gazette of the 6th instant withdrawing these restrictions, CURRENCY QUESTION. The Chairman said that the Committee had previously read the correspondeuse commencing in May lat between the Chambers of Com meros of Shanghai, Tientsin, and Hongkong, which resulted in the drawing up of a joint memorial addressed to the Diploms is Body at Peking on the subject of the currency of China." -
The memorial and the closing letters were- laid on the table.
Shanghai, 6th August, 193, His Excellency, E. H. Cougar,
Minister for the United States of America, and Dɔyen of the Diplomatic Corps Peking. SIR-We, the undersigned Chambers of Commerce of Shanghai, Hongkong, and Tient sio, respectfully beg to bring to your notion the serious disabilities under which this country labours by reason of the violent fluctuations in the gold value of silver, and the pressing need thereby occasioned for the prompt introduction of remedial measures.
In approaching this subject we are fully aware of the difficulties with which it is surrounded, but, while în no way seeking to minimise these