June 3, 1945.]
to the highest court in the Colony, and if the Government was guccessful on that appeal it only argues solid reason for taking that measure. It will, perhaps, console the Hon. Member if I explain to him that words " on such terms as they shall think fit" really mean in such cases. It is not proposed that the peas nt proprietors in the New Territory should as a body be exempted from the opera- tions of this Bill, but certain proprietors acquired land recently in the New Territory. and in such cases, when these proprietors desire, they can come under the existing law of the Colony. There is not the slightest doubt that the Governor-in-Council will take their applications into consideration.
On the motion for the second reading of the Bill being put, Hon. Mr. Shewan was the only dissentient, and the Bill was read a second time.
THE SUGAR CONVENTION ORDINANCE. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the second reading of a Bill, entitled, “An Ordinance to amend the Sugar Convention Ordinance
an
of 1904." He said Hon. Members will remember that last
year
order was made giving effect to the convention which most of the powers of the world are parties to relating to sugar. In respect of such as is bounty fed ad Ordinance was passed by this council, but in the course of working of that Ordinance it became eventually necessary to amend it in some slight way. The object of this Bill is to effect amendments. These objects will be carried out by special conditions which will be made.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY motion, which was carried.
seconded the
On the motion of the ATTORNEY GENERAL, seconded by the COLONIAL SECRETARY, council
resolved itself into committee to consider the Bill clause by claus“.
No amendments were made and on council again resuming, the Bill was read a second time and passed.
+f
THE YAGRANCY ACT,
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-I rise to ask council to read for a second time a Bill, entitled, An Ordinance to amend the Vagrancy Ordinance, 1897.” This is a measure in which I think we have been successful in grappling and dealing with a difficult question which has agitated the community for sometime past and which must in some measure irritate or disturb
or affect it for sometime. The object is to stop as far as we can the vagrancy of ab'e bodied men, and with this object it is proposed to alter in some respect the conditious under which vagrants are at present permitted to reside in the House of Detention. It is believed that the way they are treated there, and the unlimited liberty by day which is accorded them is not such as to discourage the very class of men who do not need encouragement to go there. The Bill therefore takes the power to pass regulations affecting the dietary of these persons while in the house of de'ention, placing them upon a different footing than hereto fore and giving power to make them labour neither of which will be hankered after, as it were, by the vagrant, who will be obliged to put up with it.
The Bill also provides for the amendment of the present Ordinance in respect of liability, which now rests upon masters to bring men into the Colony who become a charge on the Colony. The present law does not accomplish this. It also leaves the shipmaster in a position of doubt and difficulty. lle has to make up his mind as to whether a man on landing has sufficient means of subsis- tence In order to relieve the shipmaster from this difficulty and cast upon him a proper responsibility, he is told plainly by the proposed Ordinance not to lan any person who has not at the time the sum of $50. If a man is landed here and becomes « vagrant, a reasonable time after landing, the master will have to satisfy a magistrate that the man had $50 at the time of landing. I think, however, this Bill is likely to do what we wish in respect of keeping away from this Colony the class of persons who are of no use whatever to i. I move that council res Ive inself into a committee of the whole council to take the clauses of the
Bill into consideration.
The COLON AL : ECRETARY ₤econded the motion, which was agreed to.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Hon. Mr. SHEWAN-Is that $50 in cash, Sir, or in property?
HIB EXCELLENCY--$50 in cash. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL--The clause means money. He must be possessed of 850,
Hon. Mr. SHEWAN-He might have £50. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-The dollar is the currency here, but a man might have fifty doubloons or fifty napoleons.
Hon. Mr. SHEWAN -And you wouldn't let him land, would you?
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-Oh, yes. Ho. Mr. STEWART-A man coming from a foreign place might not be able to get fifty Hongkong dollars.
Hon. Mr. DICKSON-I would point out that this clause fixes no limit of time for the liability attaching to masters of steamers. A man might spend $50) in a month and become a vagrant after that.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-I don't think the Hon. Member quite appreciates the mean. If a man ing of the clause as it stands now lands, so long as he had $50 at the time ragrant two days after he
of landing the shipping master cannot be held liable.
becomes 8
Mr. DICKSON moved as an amendment that clause 22 be altered to read "within two months."
ship cannot be expected to keep her accounts Hon. Mr. SHEWAN seconded the motion. A
open for more than two or three months, and if she sails there is no opportunity of obtaining the money.
H18 EXCELLENCY-The Government is prepared to admit the words "within two months of landing."
framed, it would be much better for shipowners. If a magistrate were satisfied that a man ba
The ATTORNEY-GENER‹ L-If left as it is
means when he came to the Colony he would dismiss the application.
The amendment was agreed to, and council on resuming, adjourned until Thursday, 8th instant,
HONGKONG SANITARY
BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held in the Board Room on the 30th May. Dr. F. Clark (President) presided, and there were also present Hon. Mr. W. Chatham (Vice President. Major Josling, Dr. Pearse, Hon. Mr. A. W. Brewin, Mr. H. E. Pollock, Mr. F. J. Badeley, Mr. A. Rumjahn, and Mr W. Bowen-Rowlands (Secretary).
HONGKONG HOTEL APPLICATION.
AN EXTENSION BUILDING
An application from Messrs. Palmer and Turner, acting on behalf of the Hongkong Hotel Company, was considered. Extracts from the application for a modification of the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance are as follows:-
"The Company ask as follows:-
£
(1) Section 188, Sub-Section 5.-That the building may exceed 76 feet in height, ie. that the average height on the front may be 104 feet. (2) That the building may eced four storeys in height, i.e. that it may be six storeys high.
++
56
*
29
**
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'(3) Section 180, Sub-Section A.-That a modification of Sub-Section may be recom- mended by the Board as regards the ground and first floors as follows:-The site contains an approximate area of 20,580 square feet, ☀ of which 5,145 square feet to be given up as open space. The plan proposed will be as follows:
Area open space ground floor 3,610 sq feet.
first
4,240, all floors above 5,500 "From the plan it will be seen at a glance that although the new bli ok is higher (than the existing buildings) there is no comparison, be- tween old and new blocks as to amount of light an air which will be obtained in every room of the new scheme.
The new plan shows 84 b d-rooms. Allowing for two persons occupying each room (which is very improbable) making 168, and four servants to each upper floor, 16, this means a total of 184, at the outside, are! likely to occupy the building for sleeping
*
id
purposes. It cannot, therefore, be there is any question of surface crowding, for presuming the ground was going to be laid out for the erection of Chinese houses and that they were erected to the height allowed, viz., four storeys, we estimate that sufficient houses could be put on the ground, so that allowing 50 feet supplied to each person the three top floors only of such houses would accommodate over 500 people.
"Neither the ground floor nor the first floor is intended to be used for sleeping purposes. The ground floor consists almost entirely of European shops. The first floor is to consist of dining, billiard and reception rooms for hotel purposes."
13
M. O. H. minuted: - I cannot recommend that the building be allowed to exceed 76 feet in height. It must be remembered that one side of the building is in Queen's Road Central and that this might be taken into consideration as it is narrower than Pedder's Street. The effect of a very high building on the lighting of neighbouring houses is an important point and
should be considered when deciding under Sec. 189 (2) the point at which the height of the building is to be measured for the purposes of Soc. 128.
The very high buildings when compared with the narrow streets running between then in this portion of the City are certainly not achieve- ments of which the Sanitary Board can be proad.
I have no objection to offer to the proposed modification, if the open space requirement under Sec. 180 allows, and if the scale of open space for the different floors suggested by Messrs. Palmer and Turner is adhered to.
The President minuted:-The houses in shadowed, are shops and offices and I do Queen's Road Central, which will be over.
think
not
there is any serious Sanitary objectiou to the plan as submitted. I think the Board justified in considering the question of the demand for housing accommodation for Europeans in this Colony which is in excess of the supply and, on these grounds, approving of the plan of extension to the hotel --
Mr. Ramjahn minuted:-I agree with the M.O.H. that the building must not exceed 76 feet in height. Most of the offices in Queen's Road, opposite the hotel, are now pretty dark and if the height of the hotel is increased it will shut off more light from these offices. Queen's Road is only 50 feet wide, and the maximum height of a building fronting thereon can only be 75 feet. I should like the President to prove that the demand for the accommodation of Europeans is in excess of the supply. A reference to the advertising columns of the Daily Press of the number of houses to be let would dispel any doubt on this point.
Registrar General minuted:-How long will the houses in Queen's Road, which are to be overshadowed, remain offices? It is the demand for European houses in certain neighbourhoods only that is in excess of the supply.
The President again minuted:-In reply to Mr. Rumjahn it is not proposed to grant the building on Queen's Road but on Pedder Street which is 72 feet wide, and 11 times this equalı 108 feet see Sec. 188 (3) of P. H. & B. O.]. I think the public has a right to expect the Board to be consistent in a matter of this sort and, hitherto, the 76 feet rule has never been enforced in the cases of hotels and large blocks of offices in the strictly business portion of the City.
The PRESIDENT-The question is whether the new Hongkong Hotel shall be allowed to exceed 76 feet in height. It is not customary to limit such buildings to 76 feet but it is quite within the Board's power. With reference to demand and supply, I mean to say houses within the means of people. I was referring to the case of young people with incomes of from three to five thousand dollars, who cannot afford to pay Iwo to three thousand dollars for house rent. No houses within their means are available, and that is why they crowd to hotels.
E
Mr. POLLOCK-Where are these new pro- mises?
The PRESIDENT-The original Hongkong Hotel building looking over Queen's Road. It is desired to re-construct it.
Mr. POLLOCK-How much higher ↑ The PRESIDENT--The same height-as the new
hotel
;