September 10, 1904. ] rather be left to private enterprise, and to this course the Committee trust His Excellency the Governor will consent.--I have, etc..
A. R. LOWE.
Secretary. Hon. F. H. May, C.M.G., Colonial Secretary.
PAPERS LAID ON TABLE.
Report on a Journey in Mongolia by Mr. G. J. Kidston. Third Secretary of the British Legation, Peking.
Economical and Financial Japan for 1993.
CURRENCY QUESTION.
Correspondence with the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce relating to the joint memorial addressed to the Doyen of the Diplomatic Corps at Peking on the currency of China was sub- mitted and passed.
ACCOUNTS OF THE CHAMBER.
The Secretary's statement of accounts for the half year ending 30th June last was sub- bmitted and passed as satisfactory.
+
REGISTRATION OF CHINESE PARTNERSHIPS.
The discussion on this subject was again adjourned until the September meeting. QUARANTINE RESTRICTIONS AT NEWCHWANG,
The following communications were read
Colonial Secretary's Office.
Hongkong. 25th July, 1904. SIR.I am directed to transmit for your in- ormation the enclosed copy of a letter from His Britannic Majesty's Cousul at Newchwang, declaring Hongkong and other places to be infected ports.-I have, etc..
(Sd) M. J. DRAYSON.
for Colonial Secretary. The Secretary. Chamber of Commerce..
H. M. Consulate. Newchwang, 13th July, 1901 SIR.I have the honour to inform you that] the ports of Canton. Hongkong. Swatow. Amoy and Foochow have been declared infected. and that vessels arriving here from those ports after the 14th instant will be liable to quarantine for ten days counting from the date of departure. after which they will he admitted to pratique unless a suspicious case occurs on hoard.- I have, etc..
(Sd.) H. A. LITTLE.
Consul.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. protest to be made on this occasion. - I have, etc.
(Sd.) A. R. LOWE, Secretary. Hon. F. H. May, C.M.G. Colonial Secretary,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong 16th August 1904. SIB. With reference to your letter of the 13th August in connection with the imposition of sanitary restrictions on this Colony by the Newchwang authorities, I am directed to inform you that I have addressed the Consul on the subject and pointed out the serious disadvan. tages which would accrue to the Colony by the unnecessary imposition of such restrictions.- I have the honour to be. Sir. Your obedient servant.
(8d.) F. H. May.
Colonial Secretary.
The Secretary, Chamber of Commerce, The Chairman said he hoped the Govern ment's letter to H.M. Consul at Newchwang would have the effect desired by the Chamber.
HONGKONG SANITARY
BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on the 8th inst. in the Board Room. Dr. J. M. and there were ૪.૪૦ Atkinson presided. present Hon. P. N. Jones (Vice-President), Hon. A. W. Brewin, Registrar-General; Major
Lau Josling. R.A.M.C.; Mr.
Chu Pak, Mr. A. Rumjahn: Mr. H. E. Pollock, K.C.; Dr. W. W. Pearse. Medical Officer of Health: Dr. H. A. Macfarlane, Assistant Medical Officer of Health; and Mr. T. A. Hanmer (Secretary.)
MOTIONS.
The REGISTAR-GENERAL. Moved-1. That the attention of the Sub- ommittee appointed to consider what amendments are desirable in the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance, 1903, be invited to Section 188, 2. That all applications for modifications of the provisious of Section 188, Sub-section 3. of Ordinance No. 1 of 1903, be forwarded to the Colonial Secretary whether the modifications be recommended by More than once, he said. the Board or not."
The Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Hongkong.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce. it had been suggested in the Board that I
Section 188 needed amendment. There was Hongkong, 13th August, 1904. SIR.I have the honour to inform you that one point in particular in which amendment was your letter of the 25th ultimo (No. 5950-44.necessary, namely, sub-section 3, which provided C.8.0.) enclosing copy of notification from H.M. Consul for Newchwang declaring the ports of Canton, Hongkong. Swatow. Amoy and Foochow infected with plague, thereby subject. ing vessels arriving at Newchwang from those ports to ten days' quarantine counting from the day of the departure. has been considered by my Committee, who appreciate the courtesy of the Government in affording them this in- formation.
In reply I am directed to ask you to be good enough to inform this Chamber under what anthority Mr. Consul Little agreed to the issue of the notice in question, having regard to the fact that Newchwang is a Chinese Treaty Port. The sweeping nature and heavy penalty imposed on arrivals as compared with those enforced at other ports north of Hongkong seems to my committee to call for vigorous protest from the Government in order that. if pos-ible, less arduous restrictions may be substituted. In any case such a protest will perhaps lead to the authorities exercising more discrimination in dealing with a similar matter in the near future.
•
187
of $10,000 compensation they should let the Government know what was going on. It would be a different thing if the Board had 'to provide the funds for giving compensation in these cases.
Mr. RUMJAHN said he was also of opinion that the second part of the motion was unnecessary.
The VICE-PRESIDENT mentioned that this matter had already been under consideration. and he thought there was a way out of the difficulty, though he was not in a position as yet to say what that would be.
The PRESIDENT thought they might discuss the matter referred to before the sub-committee. The first part of the motion was unanimously agreed to.
camo
The PRESIDENT remarked with reference to the second part that all applications such as
roferred were
to
before the Board. and the minutes of the Board went before the Government, so they might leave that matter out. The Government practically was informed at the present time as to whether these applications were refused or not.
The second part of the motion was allowed to drop.
ENCLOSING VERANDAHS.
Further correspondence was submitted ro the refusal of the application for permission to fix windows enclosing the second floor ver. andahs of Nos. 16 and 17, Connaught Road Central, the occupants asking the Board to reconsider their decision.
The M.O.H. wrote:-This will, if granted, be followed certainly by many other applications. The Board have already refused permission to erect even iron bars 6 inches apart on verandahs to keep out thieves. I cannot recommend any reconsideration of the Board's decision.
The President minuted I have seen this verandah, and from a public health point of view I fail to see why it should not be granted. There are very few employees on the floor, as machinery is chiefly used, and no one sleeps ou it.
The question how far verandahs erected over Crown land should be utilised for trade purposes is another question which does not concern the Board.
way.
The PRESIDENT said this was a diff ·rent casɔ from these in which permission had been `refused to erect iron bars on verandahs in Chinese tonement houses. In these cases people wern living on these floors, and it was injurious to that no buildings should hereafter be erected interfere with free ventilation or light in any Here nobody slept on this floor and there exceeding one and a half times the width of the
That was to say, on a site frouting on were windows which were open practically street. a 20 feet street no buildin could be erected to all day. He thought this was a case where the
Then the pro-
Board might well grant the permission sought. a greater height than 30 feet. viso said that in certain streets the height of any building to be re-erected might be equal to the height of the existing building provided that it did not exceed twice the width of the street. that there could be a 40 This was an feet building in a 20 feet street. obvious absurdity. That was one of the main reasons why he asked that the attention of the sub-committee should be called to the section.
Mr. POLLOCK agreed that it was quite obvious that this section required amendment.
Mr. RUMJAHN supported the remarks of the Registrar-General. He had already suggested the consideration by the sub-committee of this section. It was pointed out then that the sub- committee was dealing only with the question of cubicles and that the matter should be left till later for discussion.
The PRESIDENT remarked that the sub- committee had considered the matter, but had made no recommendation concerning it, one
Secretary that no further recommendation could then be considered unless those dealing with cubicles. He thought the watter might now be referred to the sub-committee.
The Committee cannot but view with increas- ing uneasiness the attitude which the neigh-reason being that they were told by the Colonial bouring Governments appear to be adopting towards Hongkong. The principle of "giving a dog a bad name and then hanging him seems to have been universally accepted, and on the slightest pretext quarantine regulations are being enforced against Hongkong which, my Committee consider, are not in all cases justified. These, if allowed to continue without due protest, will in the end seriously affect the prosperity of the colony.
In making this request the Committee do not for one moment wish it to be understood that they desire to ignore existing conditions, but they cannot but fear that undue restrictions are at times enforced against Hongkong. In the interest of the Colony generally the Committee therefore feel they are justified in asking for
|
Mr. POLLOCK pointed out with regard to the second part of the motion that by the wording of the first sentence of the section the Governor in Council would have no power to act in the matter at all except on the recommendation of the Board; therefore he did not see that there would be much use in adopt- ing the second part of the motion.
The REGISTRAR-Genebal agreed that the Governor in Council could do nothing without the recommendation of the Board. His ideal however, was, that where the Board came to a decision which would involve perhaps a claim
Mr. POLLOCK moved that it be granted subject to the condition that the premises were not slept upon. and during the occupation of He thought that would be the present tenant. quite a sufficient safeguard in the circumstances. Mr. RUMJAHN seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
|
'
WELL AT KOWLOON. With reference to the contaminated well in the rear of Ribeiro's Bungalow, Kowloon, the Registrar-General minuted :-The proper course would be to supply the house with water and leave the well open. If there is water in the kitchen no one will go to the well for it.
The D.P.W.:-I presume this is a Chinese house?
non-
The PRESIDENT said it might be allowed to remain open until a connection was made with the main which rán in front of the house.
The REGIStrar-GeneRAL remembered Mr. Chadwick having said that it was mostly from the top that wells were contaminated, and he thonglit they might allow this man to keep his well open if he would cover it over and have a pump put in. He had an acre of ground there and the well was used for watering the garden.
Dr. PEARSE pointed out that Mr. Chad- In wick's assertion was only partially ¦true. by far the majority of the cases he could call to mind wells had been contaminated not from the top but from underground drains and cesspools. Care should be taken to see that there were no drain pipes in the proximity of the well, even if it was covered over.
The PRESIDENT explained that the water was contaminated by the way in which the garden was manured.
Dr. MACFARLANE, who had visited the
that was place, stated that
80.
There
I
t
兽