April 23, 1904.]
HONGKONG SANITARY
BOARD
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on the 21st inst.. in the Board Room. Hon. Dr. J. M. Atkinson (President) presided, and there were also present Hou. P. N. Jones (Vice-President). Hon. A. W. Brewin, Re- gistrar-General: Mr. F. J. Badeley. Captain Superintendent of Police; Mr. Fung Wa - Chun; Colonel W. E. Webb. R.A.M.C.; Mr. A. Rumjahn; Mr. E. A. Hewett; Dr. W. W. Pearse, Medical Officer of Health: Dr. B. Bar- nett. Assistant Medical Officer of Health; and Mr. T. A. Hanmer (Assistant Secretary).
SANITARY SURVEYOR'S REPORT.
The report of the Sanitary Surveyor (Mr. H. T. Jackman) for the first quarter of 1904 showed that plans had been passed for the drainage of 104 houses, and plans for 211 houses were carried forward from 1903, making a total of 315 in hand during the quarter. The drainage of 40 houses had been completed. leaving 275 to carry forward. Notices for repairs and alterations to the drains of 46 houses had been received, and 58 were carried forward from 1903, making a total of 104 in hand. Of these 5 had been completed, Certificates had been granted for 38 new houses under Sect. 84 of Ordinance 13 of 1901. The drains of 4.40 houses had been inspected by the inspectors, and 48 minor nuisances had been discovered in each case a notice had been served. 82 nuisances had been reported to the M.O.H. and 88 to the D.P.W. 255 choked drain-traps on private property had been cleansed by the inspectors.
Hon. Mr. Pollock :-" The item of 255 choked drain-traps ou private property is rather disquieting."
The Acting D.P.W.- Is this not above the usual average ?**
The PRESIDENT, in answer to Mr. Pollock's question, said that this figure was below the average. In
the corresponding quarter of last year there were 792 choked drains. The figures for the whole year were 1.705.
SCAVENGING.
Correspondence was laid on the table relativer to the advisability of the contractor increasing the number of scavenging coolies for Nos, 1 and 2 Health Districts,
The PRESIDENT explained that the Medical Officer of Health recommended that the number of coolies employed by the contractor be increa- sed by 30. It appeared that the contractor had not been doing the work satisfactorily in this part of the town. The surface of the streets had not been properly cleaned, especially the roads on the higher levels. The senior inspec- tor reported that he thought 30 more would be required.
Mr. BADELEY-The contractor pays? The PRESIDENT-Yes. He moved that tfie contractor be requested to employ additional 30 coolies-20 for No. 1 District and 10 for No. 2.
Mr. FUNG WA CHUN seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM.
Further correspondence was submitted dealing with the abolition of intercepting traps in connection with the drainage system.
Was
The PRESIDENT stated this correspondence had reference to the question of omitting intercepting traps in a given quarter of the town. It appeared that there some doubt as to whether the Board had sufficient powers under the bye-laws to leave out these traps. He suggested that the M.OH. be instructed to confer with the D.P.W. in order to ascertain how far the Board had or had not sufficient powers under the present Bill, and if necessary to consult the Crown solicitor.
Mr. RUMJAHN-And if it is found we have not, to ask the Government to give us powers?
The PRESIDENT—Yes.
The motion was agreed to.
ISSUE OF LICENCES.
A great number of applications for licences for the sale of fish, pork. etc., and for laundries, bake-houses, etc., were considered and disposed
of.
The PRESIDENT remarked that at a previous meeting Mr. Hewett had drawn attention to the fact that it was rather strange that such
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. licences should not have been renewed by this time of the year.
It had occurred to him that it might be preferable to send these people notices pointing out that they had not applied for a renewal for 1904 and that unless they did so within two weeks from the service of the notices legal proceedings would be instituted against them.
Mr. Hewett remarked that it was necessary that such notices should be sent out. Still it was strange that a quarter of the year should be allowed to pass without these licences being renewed. He suggested that in future notices be sent out about the middle of December and the licences be renewed by the middle of January.
year
Dr. Pearse stated that practically all licencees had been warned at the end of last that renewal was necessary.
The President's proposal was agreed to
LIMEWASHING,
The limewashing returus for the fortnight ended 12th April showed that 2.863 houses in the Eastern and 9 in the Central District had been dealt with. There were 4 prosecutions in the Eastern District and $474 was recovered
in fines.
pass
Mr. Lau Chu Pak minuted There should he a fixed standard as regards the work required to be carried out. the Board's officers
If, as at present. are allowed to the work done, each according to his own etmperament and interpretation of the law, there will be no end of prosecutions. As I have previously pointed out to the satisfaction of the Board is too vague an expression. and it is not fair to let the house-owners, who are perfectly willing to do the needful, grope about to find out what the Board actually wants."
Mr. Rumjahn-- These prosecutions, 46 in all and odd the previous fortnight, should be avoid ed. The Board is not a persecution Board. The less we exasperate the public. the greater the co-operation the Board would be able to enlist from them in furthering our object. If owners of property were only told that their premises had not been limewashed satisfactorily (satisfac- torily to the inspector!!), they would cheerfully do the work again rather than be prosecuted."
The PRESIDENT said that before prosecutions were instituted it was always the custom to send written notices from that office-to the owner of the premises, he took it.
Mr. RUMJAHN thought many prosecutions had been instituted without notices having been served.
Dr. PEARSE was afraid they could not get on without prosecution altogether, though they did their best to do so. With regard to Mr. Lan Chu Pak's minute, he did not think the stan- dard of limewashing required by the senior in- spectors varied very much. Certainly there was not much room for variation in the inter- pretation of the law.
315
necessary to prosecut,-habitual offenders, for instance.
The PRESIDENT added that this matter must be left to the discrétion of the Medical Officers of Health. The Board could not lay down any hard and fast rule. The work would be done in a more uniform way if they had one inspector to undertake the whole of the work.
Mr. FUNG WA CHUN suggested that they might ask the Government to empower them to get one contractor to do the work as they had previously agreed to recommend.
The PRESIDENT said the Acting Governor could not agree to that recommendation of the Board. As far as possible, he added, notices would be sent out in future.
The discussion then ended.
RATS.
The rat return showed that during fortnight anded 18th April 1.109 rats had been caught; of these 16 were infected.
This was all the business.
JAPAN DURING THE WAR.
[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]
RUSSIA'S POSITION,
Tokyo, 4th April. The very rigorous censorship that is exercised here makes it a matter of the greatest difficulty. letters that have been received from the Front to formulate a satisfactory report, but from I am enabled to gather the following particulars forces. as to the present disposition of the Russian
men.
It would seem the Russians have established cavalry posts right along the coast between the mouth of the Yalu and the town of Takushan to the west, whilst forts have been erected on all the hills between Autung and Kiuliencheng, with parapets and palisades the whole distance. There is said to be an Army Corps in Antung itself-that is to say, thirty thousand evidently been made the base for preparations This place has in the Yalu district, and the Russians are determined to dispute the passage of the river to the uttermost of their power. To this end they are not only taking the measures above described, but are also keeping touch with the Japanese advance movement. This explains the presence of the six hundred Russian troopers in Chongju who were repulsed in the skirmish last week- the first encounter on land so far. Chongju is seventy miles from Wiju, and the Japanese will probably meet with a good deal of opposition en route. There are rumours that there are hardly any troops on the road leading to Wiju, but it is difficult to believe the Russians would neglect the first means of defence in this manner. Accounts of the number of soldiers in Antung differ. but the general opinion here is that the figures given above are correct. Of course if one could only tell what the Russian front is. and how much the Japanese have extended their advance, it would be possible to take a much more intelligent view of the case; as it is, one can only conjecture. Some say the Russian pre-outposts are as far up the Yalu as the town of Chosan. 187 miles from Wiju, others indicate Chongsang as the point of greatest extension, 70 miles. The latter report is probably correct. Russian cavalry vedettes are carefully patrolling the Yellow Sea littoral, a duty that must require no small force, when not only the shores of the Liaotung peninsula but also the railway have to be watched and guarded. Takushan is the first place of any importance to the west of the Yalu estuary, and there are said to be 300 Cossacks stationed here, detachments of whom are also posted along the banks of the Tagary. though it is difficult to understand why this river should be particularly watched. Lately Chinese junks have been supposed to be carrying Dr. PEARSE explained that the senior in-provisions to the ports of Takushan, Saho, and spectors had been instructed to indicata Tatung, but this can hardly be the case as the shortly in what sense the work was insufficiently seas hereabouts are thoroughly patrolled by the done--such as "it was patchy" or
the kitchen Japanese vessels. If the disposition given above was not done properly."
is the correct onej and the source is a trust. Mr. RUMJAHN asked if they were to under-worthy one, it shows a great scattering of the stand that no prosecutions would be instituted in future unless notice had been served ? prosecutions, against people who had neither Dr. BARNETT said he had authorised a few
Mr. RUMJAHN contended that the most objectionable feature in the bye-laws was the word "satisfactorily." in charge of a
The inspector district had the rogative to prosecute anybody for a house which had been already limewashed. because he was not expected to say whether it was satisfactory to the Board or not, but used his own discretion. Sometimes perhaps his discretion was right, but he knew as a matter of fact of a case where a person had been prosecuted and fined for failing to limewash after he had actually limewashed a house, this being due the length of time that elapsed between the limewashing and the inspector's visit.
to
Mr. HEWETT said these notices should show in what respect the limewashing had not been sufficiently carried out.
limewashed nor sent in notices.
Dr. PEARSE remarked that it was better not people. There were to bind themselves down to sending notices to cases in which it was
various detachments. The Cossacks are pos- sessed of extraordinary mobility, which in some Russians are not able to get sufficient fodder degree lessons the risk, but it is reported the
for their cattle.
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Liaoyang, which may be looked upon as the Russian headquarters for the defence of the Yalu, is situated 170 miles from Antung.
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