September 24, 1904.j
VICTORIA GAOL.
The Governor recommended the Council to vote a sum of $4,650 in aid of the vote. Victoria Gaol, Other Charges, for the following items:- Provisions for prisoners $3,000 Clothing and shoes for Gaol Staff Fuel and soap
Materials
industry
for remunerative
Total...
450 400
800
$ 4,650 The CHAIRMAN said that this rote was necessary owing to the increased number of prisoners in Victoria Gaol.
The vote was passed. This was all the business.
HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
At a monthly meeting of the general com- mittee of the Hongkong Chamber of Commerce, held on Tuesday, 6th September, there were present: Mr. F. A. Hewett (Chairman, Hon. W. J. Gresson, Messrs. A. Haupt, N. A. Siebs, J. R. M. Smith, H. E. Tomkins, R. C. Wilcox, A. G. Wood, Hon. R. Shewan (ex officio) and A. R. Lowe, Secretary.
NEW MEMBERS.
The Secretary reported that the following firms had been elected members since the last meeting, subject to usual confirmation by the members at the annual general meeting :-- Messrs. Midzushima & Co., and Messrs. Aagaard Thoresen & Co.
CLAYTON'S APPARATUS FOR DISINFECTING
SHIPS.
A communication from the Colonial Secretary was read stating that the views of the Chamber of Commerce on this subject had been noted by the Government,
PRODUCTION OF TEA AND COFFEE IN INDIA.
The report by the Statistical Department of the Indian Government on the production of tea and coffee in India for the 19 years to 1903 was laid on the table,
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CURRENCY QUESTION. The following letter was read:-Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce, Shanghai, 27th August, 1904. The Secretary, General Chamber of Commerce, Hongkong.-Currency Reform.-Dear Sir, I beg to acknowledge re. ceipt of your letter of 12th instant handing two signed and twelve unsigned printed copies of letter addressed to the Doyen of the Diplomatic Body at Peking by the Chambers of Shanghai, Hongkong and Tientsin. My Committee acquiesces in the slight amendments made by your Chamber, and the letter having been signed here is being forwarded, with the additional oppies to Tientsin, with a request to carry out your Chamber's suggestions relating thereto. I am dear Sir, Yours faithfully, (8d.) Leslie J. Cubitt, Secretary.
REGISTRATION OF CHINESE, PARTNERSHIPS.
The adjourned discussion on this subject was proceeded with and again adjourned to the next monthly meeting.
HONGKONG SANITARY
BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on the 20th instant in the Board Room. The Principal Civil Medical Offloor, Dr. J. M. Atkinson presided, and there were also present: Hon. A. W. Brewin, Registrar-General: Mr. Fung Wa Chun, Mr. Lau Chu Pak, Mr. A. Rumjahn, Major Josling, R.A.M.C., Dr. W. W. Pearse (Medical Officer of Health), Dr. Macfarlane (Assistant Medical Officer of Health), and Mr. T. A. Haumer, Secretary.
WANCHAI BATHS.
It was reported that the Government had ap. proved of the Board's recommendation that additional accommodation be provided at Wan- chai bath-house,
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DISEASE AMONG GOATS.
Mr. A. Gibson, V.S., reported under date 8th September that an infectious disease had appeared among the goats housed for slaughter in the Kennedy Town depots. Their symptoms were running at the eyes, foetid diarrhoea, and rapid emaciation. Death usually occurred in four or five days. During the past week 23 goats had died.” He had made post mortem and
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
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229
microscopic examinations of the blood, etc.. 4. These means will not ensure « the #rubbish - but was unable to give the disease a definite getting farther than the dust-boats, and it is name. He had consulted the Government | notorious that the greater part of it never Bacteriologist and an examination was being reaches Chinwan, but is emptied into the Har- made. There were in the depot 850 goats. bour. We recommend that next year a separato To limit the spread of the disease the contract should be entered into for removing, healthy goats had been removed to the old the rubbish from Victoria ¡to Chinwan, the Tung Wa mortuary, the sheds had been washed contractor to be paid according to the quantity and disinfected, and the sick goats confined of rubbish deposited there. Measur-ment of apart. Twice a day the healthy goats were ex- the amount deposited can be made and the space amined and any suspicious case isolated. 52 available at Chinwan is ample. goats were under observation. These goats came from Shanghai and were used as food by the Indians in the Colony.
Mr. Rumjahn:-"Some time ago a British Consul in one of the northern porta reported to the local Government that an infectious disease of some sort had broken out amongst the cattle in the north of China, and it would be well that all cattle from Shanghai should be isolated for a few days if possible. It would be impossible for the C.V.8. to examine every head of cattle in the sheds, to detect symptoms of disease, every day, unless his whole time was spent in the sheds. The steps taken to check the spread of the disease were all that could be done under the circumstances.'
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Mr. Pollook:-"I presume that all goats arriving are inspected on arrival ? '
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The PRESIDENT said that all goats were examined by the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon before they were slaughtered, the same as every animal introduced into the Colony.
SCAVENGING AT THE PEAK.
There was laid on the table the report of the sub-committee re the scavenging of the Peak District. It was as follows: "There is no doubt that nothing approaching the actual amount of rubbish removed from houses in the Peak District reaches the dust-boats. The in- spector in charge of the district estimates the amount to be removed daily by the contractor at 42 56 piculs, but we are inclined to think this is somewhat below the mark, and to estimate the amount at between 45 and 50 piculs. On the two occasions, however, that the rubbish has been weighed on its arrival at the dust-boat it was found to weigh on the first occasion 20 piculs net and on the second occasion 22 piculs gross On each occasion no opportunity was given the coolies of getting rid of any portion of their load between Victoria Gap and the boat. If these two days were average days the amount of rubbish removed to the dust-boats during, say, the two months of May and June would have been 1,280 piculs, whilst the amount we would expect to have been removed from the houses would be 2,900 piculs, according to our estimate, No doubt the balance of 1,620 piculs was tipped in nullahs and elsewhere on the hillside; and as
a matter of fact the amount of rubbish actually discovered on the hillsides during these two months by officers of the Sanitary Department was 1,228 piculs.
2. The minimum number of coolies the Peak scavenging contractor is required to supply is 30; the average number employed previous to the attention of the committee having been directed to this question is stated to have been 28. It appears to us that under proper man agement the number of coolies employed is sufficient, but if experience shows that it is not, the contractor should be called upon to supply a few more.
3. The present means of ensuring that the contractor" carries out his work satisfactorily appear to us to be sufficient if the officers of the department exercise vigilance. It is not easy to discover coolies in the act of dumping rabbish, but in March and April last four were discovered and convicted, and we are of opinion that were the Police directed to co-operate with the Sanitary Department and to make special endeavours to prevent this practice a great deal more might be done. After it has been dumped there can be no difficulty at all in discovering the rubbish. as the tips will be no great distance from the houses and the roads. On the discovery of these tips by an officer of the Sanitary Department the contractor is given a reasonable time to remove the refuse, and on his failing to do so the work is carried out by the Sanitary Depart- ment under clause 21 of the contract at the contractor's expense. Between 29th March and 15th April the contractor was charged $110.48 on this account, and between the 9th and 18th May $417.46.
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5. We have considered the advisability of the Sanitary Department itself undertaking the work of scavenging and removing the rubbish; Weare of opinion that a fair trial might be given to paying by measurement for removing the rubbish before going to the expense of any other scheme such as the one proposed by Mr. Chatham of removing the rubbish to s»s in hopper barges There would be no difficulty next year in the department undertaking the scavenging of the Peak as a portion of Victoria, and leaving the rest of the work to be carried out by contract. It would be possible in this way to compare the cost and effectiveness of the two methods without incurring any serious expense or risking failure, and if successful the extension of the method to other parts of the Colony could be gradually affected with economy."
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Mr. Hewett minated :-" While I agree with the above in the main I consider that there can be no satisfactory means of disposing of the rubbish until hopper barges are constructed and the rubbish dropped out at sen, ; which, was also signed by Dr. Pearce.
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It was further minuted in reply to enquiries by members that there had been 35 complaints from June to August and 4 convictions.
The Captain Superintendent of Police minu- ted:- The Police do co-operate as much as they possibly can.'
Mr Howett "I am glad to hear that wo have the fullest support possible given by the Police. I would, however, like to direct the attention of the Board to the fact that while it is possible for a private individual to walk along the Peak roads and at frequent intervals see traces of house rubbish having been dumped by the sides of the roads, complaints to this effect are not very frequently received from the Sanitary officers and Police.”
The PRESIDENT moved that the report be adopted.
The REGISTRAR-General seconded. Mr. RUMJAHN asked why this report on the scavenging of the Peak should be considered in public whereas the report of the sub-committee
on
the drainage system, which was dealt with at last meeting, had to be considered confidenti«lly. He did not know what system existed for dealing with these matters confidentially or in the open Board, for the report on the drainage system was of far greater importance than the report of the scavenging of the Hill district.
The PRESIDENT explained that the Board itself at last meeting but one had decided that the drainage report should be considered confiden- tially It was not customary for the Board to consider any report of a committee in public meeting which would necessitate an alteration of the laws at present in force in the Colony; at any rate, not before it had been considered by the Legislature.
LIMEWASHING,
The limewashing return for the fortnight ended 13th September showed that during that period 1,126 houses in the Eastern district and 80 in the Central bad been cleansed.
MILK ANALYSIS.
Mr. A. C. Franklin, Government Analyst, reported on two simples of fresh milk, bought by Inspector C. W. Brott at 22, Cochrane Street, and 41, Hollywood Road; he was of opinion they were samples of genuine milk.
CHANGE OF MEETING DAY.- At the conclusion of the public business, The PRESIDENT stated that the Board had met that day instead of on Thursday so that their meeting would not clash with that of the Legislative Council. His Excellency wished that they should meet on some other day than Thursday, and if it suited the convenience of members he would propose that in future they meet on Tuesdays instead of Thursdays,
Mr. FUNG WA CHUN seconded,, und the motion was agreed to.
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