150
COLONIAL OFFICE CHARGES. The Governor. recommended the Council to vote a sum of one hundred and fifty dollars ($150) in aid of the vote, Colonial Secretary's Department and Legislature Other Charges, Incidental Expenses.
HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on September 4th at the Board Room. The Hon, Dr. F. Clark (president) presided, and there were also present-Hon. Mr. W. Chatham (Vice President), Dr. Pearse, M.O.H., Mr. E. A. Irving, Hon. Mr. E. A. Hewett, Lieut. Col. Joslin, Mr. A. Shelton Hooper,, Mr. H. Humphreys, Mr. F. J. Badeley, Mr. Fung Wa-chuu, Mr. Lau Chu-pak, and Mr. G. A. Woodcock (secretary).
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
!
!
;
carried out at the close of seven years after, burial-the disinterments to be confined to the free section of the cemeteries, the graves in the other sections to remain undisturbed. The work of disinterment should be undertaken by the Tung Wa Hospital, the cost to bo defrayed by the Government, and six months' notice should be given by the posting of notices near the cemetery and by advertisements in the press
before the work is commenced."
The report was signed by the Hon Mr. A. W. Brewin, Messrs. Fang Wa-chua and Lau Chu- pak.
It
The PRESIDENT-As the hon. Mr. Brewin, the chairman of the committee, is not present, I beg to move the adoption of the report. deals with the points referred to by the Foard. The other matters will have to be taken up later
Hon. MR. HEWETT-The two points in the report ought to be considered. Our is, I understand, that these disinterments only refer to one section. How will it apply to morg The PRESIDENT-Is it your pleasure, gentle expensive sections? Are people whose friends men, that we take the minutes of the last are buried there denied tbo power of meeting as read.
LAST MEETING'S MINUTES,
Mr. HOOPER- I would like a few words added with regard to the resolution I moved about C.S.O.'s. I would like the following words inserted, as they were my reason for having moved the resolution :-"The President having declined to auswer the question as to whether he was instructed." That was my reason for moving the resolution, and these minutes go to the Governor to-morrow, so I would like him to know my reason for the stand I took.
The PRESIDENT-Your reason is given in the newspapers.
Mr. HOOPER-But I have no official cog- nizance that His Excellency reads the news-
papers.
The PRESIDENT-If that goes in, my pre. vious statement will have to go in.
Mr. HOOPER-I have no objection. With this amendment the minutes confirmed
GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATIONS,
were
The reply from the Government relative to the submitting of C. S. O's to the Board was as follows:-
"Wi h reference to your letter No. 151 of the 23rd instant forwarding a copy of the following resolution adopted nem, con, by the Sanitary Board, That His Excellency the Governor be asked if he has given any directions to the administrative head of the Sanitary Department or to the President of the Sanitary Board to withhold from the Board any C.S.O.'s dealing with matters which have been considered by the Board,' I am directed to state that His Excellency has issued instructions that all communications of the Government with the Sanitary Board are to be by letter and that the papers of this office (Colonial Secretary's Office) on which matters are discussed between officers of the Government, are only to be sent to such officers."
Mr. A. SHELTON HOOPER minuted-As this subject is intimately connected with the question of administration about which the Commission will report to H.E. the Governor direct. I see no useful purpose in dealing further with this matter at the Board.
Hon. Mr. E. A. HEWETT-The form to be adopted by the Government in communicat- ing with the Sanitary Board is of course a matter to be decided by His Excellency. The resolution passed by the Board was somewhat hastily drawn up and on further consideration might well bave been better and more clearly worded. I understand that what was proposed really amounted to this-that all communica tions from the Government to the President in bis capacity as President, and not as P. C. M. O., must be communicated to the Board; that the President of the Board must not carry ou correspondeuce with the Govern. ment-or any one else-in his capacity
88
President without the full knowledge of the Board. The P.C.M.O. holds a very different position towards the Government than the President of the Board, and in the former capacity the Board has nothing to do with the work of the President.
DISINTERMENT OF DEAD BODIES.
The report by the Committee relative to the interment of dead bodies was as follows: “We recommend that disinterment should be
disinterring:
The PRESID· NT —
-No, that is not the point. The point merely is what is the period of the tenure, and it has been laid down as seven years.
Hon. Mr.
HEWETT-Disinterment after seven years is rather a hardship Maybe the people are poor and cannot afford to take the remains away.
!
[September 8, 1906.
corner houses of a worse type than this have heon exempted from providing back yards. The Board's previous decision is not consistent. r. FUNG WA-CHUN-The Board ought to be consistent.
Mr. FUNG WA-CHUN's motion for the granting of exemption, which was seconded by Mr. HOOPER, was defeated.
THE SCAVENGING CONTRACT.
The report of the committee appointed to consider the scavenging contract was laid before members.
The PRESIDENT-This report has been called for in connection with the disposal of refuse in the city. The points raised were that the contract should be divided into two, one for the collection and one for the disposal of rubbish aud that ins'ead of calling upon the contractor to place the stuff on land and burn it, he should be required to carry it out to sea and throw it overboard: With regard to the objection raised by the Vice- President it has occurred to me that perhaps the better way would be for the Government to own the boats and supply the launch to carry the rubbish away. One of the reasons why the price of the contract is so high is that it only lasts for two or three years, and the man who accepts it has to purchase all the boats he requires, and at the end of the contract these are left on his hands. Perhaps it would be better to discuss the question as to whether two contracts should be made. and whether the Government should provide
The PRESIDENT-
-The cost does not fall oa the friends, but on the government.
Mr. HEWATT seconded the motion, which the was carried.
DREDGING AT DUST BOAT S ́ATIONS.
Correspondence was submitted relative to the petition of Leung In, scavenging cou. tractor, in respect of dredging.
This matter was previously before the Board, when a satisfactory arrangement was supposed to have been arrived at, but apparently au account for $1,676.44 for dredging done at the dust boat stations along the city front, which the scaranging contractor has been asked to pay, bas revived it.
The REGISTRAR-GENERAL miuuted-I recollect that this man was given permission through this office to use his own boats. What he says now, and quite fairly, is that having been given this permission the Government has no right to charge him for using their own boats, when by their authority lie had boats of his own at their disposal.
The DIRECTOR of PUBLIC WORKS -In what way do you mean that permission was given through your office?
The REGISTRAR-GENERAL The correspoud- ence was conducted through the R.G.O., and the D P.W. asked me to tell the man this might be done.
to
The DIRECTOR of PUBLIC WORKS-The proposal made, when the contractor was told he would have to provide his own boats, was that he should hire the dredger from the Govern. meat. I informed you that I was prepared to recommend such an arrangement Government. No further steps were taken in this matter, the terms not being accepted. He had previously been informed that he would not be permitted to pro- vide bis own juuks for removing the material when the dredger was worked by the Government in the ordinary way, I can do nothing for him.
Hon. Mr. HEWETTIf the hon. the Registrar- General, on behalf of the Government, informed this contractor he could use his own boats, I think this should be binding even though it may not have been agreed to by the Director of Public Works.
Mr. LAU CHU-PAK-There appears to be some misunderstanding. I don't think it is reasonable to make the contractor pay twice if he has been misled.
The matter is to be considered
No. 17 OLD BAILEY, Further correspondence was submitted with reference to an application by the owner of No. 17 Old Bailey for exemption from complying with section 175 of Ordinance 1 of 1903 with regard to open space.
ir. HOOPER minuted-I am still of the same opinion, and think the application ought to be granted.
Mr. LAU CHU-PAK-To refuse this applica tion is to inflict hardship on the owner. "Mapy
boats or B separate contractor. The question could be considered as to whether rubbish should be dumped over- board, because there is a provision of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance which says that rubbish shall not be dumped in the waters of the Colony, and to get out of the waters of the Colony I have a chart which will show that the boats will have to go a very considerable distance. I know stuff is dumped overboard now, but not with our permission.
Mr. HOOPER The prosant contract expires at the end of the year?
Mr. PRESIDENT Yes. Mr. HOOPER-Therefore anything we may do will not affect the present contract?
The PRESIDENT--No. But we want to get the conditions filled up as soon as possible.
Mr. HOOPER --It has occurred to me that it might be advisable to call for alternative tenders, firstly for the divided contrast and secondly for the whole contract, and there could be a condition as to where the rubbish should be deposited. Also after what you said. Sir, I think there might be another alternative that a price be given on the assumption that the Government will provide boats.
Hon. M. HEWETT-When you speak of the Government providing boats, are you con- templating that they are to provide proper barges to carry the stuff out to sea? 'That would be very expensive; would probably run into a lakh or two of dollars.
The PRESIDENT-My idea was to get some. thing of the same sort as the contractor has at present junks of a certain size.
Hon. Mr. HEWETT-And then the stuff shovelled overboard.
The PRESIDENT-Yes, but if a question of copper barges is coming up, personally I should rather see a refuse destructor. The expensy would probably be about as great,
Members agreed to Mr HOOPER's sugges. tions, and as complaints have been forthcoming about the Kowloon contract it is to be dealt with the same way.
THE WATER SUPPLY,
The Government Analyst wrote as follows:- Government Laboratory, August 25th, 1906. Sir, I have the honour to request that per- mission may be obtained to attach the enclosed minute for circulation од the monthly analysis of the public water supplies. Owing to statements made at the last meeting of the Sanitary Board, it is feared that confidence has been shaken as to the quality of the water and as to the methods hitherto employed for analysis. By mere coincidence the routine bacteriological examinations (arranged for a considerable time ago) have been commenced during this month by the Bacteriologist. These latter reports will, I presume, be published by the Water Authority and an idea may get abroad that the