May 2, 1908.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT
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sights of the town the closely packed under equalled by any other system. (Hear, hear.) { dwindled down to the few comparatively un- ground opium dens and unatterable squalor of I admit without argument that Chinatown will now search for such sights in system
the important matters detailed in their published has faults; that our commercial reporta? 1 will tell you why it is, Sir. It is vain; and plague, that unsolved problem progress is slow for lack of initiative and because the Chinese know, the property owners in other lands than ours, if plague has enterprise on the part of Government; I know, and every intelligent member of this not been altogether banished from our believe that under municipal control, given community, if he will only acknowledge the midst, the accomplished results of the Sani- the right men to manage affairs, improve, truth, knows, that in this question of publis tary department's endeavours in that direo ments would be effected in municipal matters health, involving as it does the very existence tion are sufficiently encouraging to justify which under existing conditions eventuate so
■ continuadoe of their work with unabated slowly; that for instance some modern method ment is fighting for the welfare of all against of the place as a centre of trade, the Govern vigour. As regards the Commissions' recom. of paving our streets would long since have ignorance, self interest and greed. mendations and the provisions of the Bill before ousted
It is the old fashioned and unsuitable for this reason that the foreign community us, setting aside trivialities with which the mud and stone; I believe that more publi.generally are in agreement with the broad report is somewhat overburdened, there appear city would be given and therefore more principles of the law, and it is for this to me to be three and only three important interest taken in public affairs; I admit there reason that measures adopted by Government. suggestions to consider. One is that the Build. has hitherto been too little sympathy with deserve all the support which it is in the ing Authority shall be placed under the direct commercial interests, an unaccountable jealousy power of honourable members to give. Stripped control of the Sanitary Board, another that on the part of officials, of private enterprise of technicalities and side issues, this whole there should be a simple form of appeal; another reaping private reward; that whereas in other problem about which controversy has raged so is that the Sanitary department shall be run by countries new industries are given cheap land, long, resolves itself into the very simple quest- Board having an unofficial majority, under a relieved of taxation and otherwise fostered, here ion, whether the Colony is content to drift on President of its own selection, which if it mean in Hongkong it is the practice to strangle with as in days of old, generating evils, the result anything at all, means that the department shall vexatious conditions. But these, Eir, are after of which will not be depreciated property or a be converted into a sort of half fledged municipal all comparatively trivial grievances capable of depleted revenue, but will be an empty and corporation possessed of sufficient powers to easy removal. To change this system for that ruined city; a commerce departed never work mischief, but Ansufficiently equipped to of Government by an elected assembly; to set return. The community's answer to that perform the functions appertaining to a in authority over us men who are here to day question was the Public Health Ordinance of genuine municipality. As to whether the and gone to-morrow; or men whose interest 1903, by which the Government was given m Building Authority should be placed under in public affairs would probably be restricted to mandate from the people to purify this city the Sanitary Board, there are no doubt good their private
men responsible to at any cost, and however hardly it may press arguments for and against; all however that the до one for their mistakes; ог men upon property owners, however distasteful it public wants and is concerned with is efficiency, who in the matter of public expenditure may be to the Chinese, there can be no turning they want their plans and arrangements put would probably imperil the Colony's credit by 'back now, no departure from the broad lines through with a minimum of circumlocation and emulating the phantasies of modern municipal laid down by Messrs. Chadwick and Simpson, with a maximum of indulgence, that their wishes extravagance; to place the Government in such and no shrinking from sacrifices which will, as far as public interests allow, be granted. hands as these would I think be fraught with the future prosperity of the port demands, To the public it is immaterial whether the Build-injury to the Colony, and hurtful to those who This mandate must be fulfilled by the Govern- ing Authority is attached to one department or happened to be without the precinots of the ment adhering to a fixed, unalterable polioy of another; and if, as would appear to be the case, municipal chamber. With a shifting population sanitary reform and on the unofficials on the Sani- the proposed arrangement results in efficiency, such as ours, with every one busily intent upon tary Board can most usefully serve the Public, the public, I feel sure, will be satisfied with it. his own affairs, there would I think be difficulty not by aspiring to an impractical scheme of On the question of appeal there should in finding men suitable and willing to undertake municipal control, but by acting in a consultive certainly be some simple method by which such duties, so that the care of public affairs capacity to executive officials; by freely persons feeling aggrieved can obtain a hearing would pass into the hands of undesirable persons exercising their powers of exemption, by not only by the President of the Board but by and we should be called upon to witness a enquiring into and ventilating grievances; and the Board itself, I think that much irritation repetition of those edifying public scandals above all by uniting with honourable members in the past has been due to a conviction that the which appear to be inseparable from democratic of this Council in criticising the details of the Sanitary department has acted with unnecessary rule. This question of municipal government Government policy, not in a biokering spirit or harshness, and I feel sure that if individual is of perennial growth; it has been championed in senseless cavil, but in a spirit of eandour and grievances were given a patient and sympathetic and fought out before and discarded as unsuit- fairness, which I am sure no one will more gladly hearing, this friction would give way to a sense able. No one questions the right of an enlighten- welcome than those upon whom finally res's of confidence in the department, which would ed community to manage its own affairs, but is the responsibility of governing this Colony. go far towards securing the co-operation of the there any evidence that the Asiatic.sections of (applausə). Chinese, where now there is resistance and our population are possessed of the necessary misunderstanding. The whole Sanitary depart- enlightenment or the individual independence ment from President downwards should of character, power of self restraint and imparti- understand that the law was not framed for the ality of judgment, which are the first essentials purpose of harassing and annoying; that their of self government? Does not the very history business is to educate and assist; to give effect of this Public Health law, with its dismal to the regulations in an intelligent and tolerant tale of disease and death, answer emphatically manner; to concede where concession is possi- in the negative? Are the people who, on the ble; and above all avoid a senseless interpreta- question of public health, have for years tion of the law. Unless this spirit animate the harassed the authorities by their apathy, their department, unless the high officials protect the callousness, their passive resistance, are these public against the misplaced zeal, stupidity, the people to whom should be entrusted the and arrogance of subordinates, there will con- burden of self government? Or would we have tinue to be irritation, antagonism, and trouble, them set aside, they who posess by far the largest And as most of the friction in the past has stake in the Colony; would we ignore the undoubtedly been due to administrative in- Chinese and vest control in a handful of capacity to apply the law in a common sense Europeans? I venture to predict, Sir, that if and reasonable fashion, so the future success or any such proposal were made, we should learn failure of the reorganised department will vary quickly from the Chinese, and not only the depend largely upon the broadmindedness of Chinese, that they certainly prefer the trained, its President, who whilst on the one hand will disinterested, civil servant with all his faults to carry out the unalterable determination of the
a clique of untrained and possibly self seeking government to cleanse this town in the interests amateurs. To judge from what appears in the of public health, will on the other hand initiate local press, one would imagine the community changes and reforms where the law is found was crushed beneath the heel of official to be inapplicable. And it is to be hoped that tyranny, though one seeks in vain for those when appeals to the Governor in Council evidences of indignation, or the cries of are heard, the President will be present to injustice unusually associated with the cause of plead the cause of common sense. (Applause.) an oppressed people. And is it not strange that The chief point of the report however this discontent with the established order of lies in a recommendation concerning the con- Government, which we are told exists, should stitution of the Board, which as I have already not occasionally find expression in this Council shown, virtually amounts to municipal control Chamber? The machinery is here, ready at of Sanitary affairs. This, Sir, is a matter which hand for any member of the community to lay strikes at the root of Crown Colony Govern- bare his wrongs, to unburden his woes in public, ment and as such calls for careful sorutiny. In but so far as my experience goes.it is seldom the peculiar circumstances of our case, a British that the voice of genuine grievance has been Colony run largely on alien money, with a heard within these walls. If, for instance, the British population, which owing to climatic and Chinese or the property owners feel so deeply other reasons is o nstantly changing, it seems about the iniquity of any particular provision to me that above all other considerations our of the Public Health law, why is it they have aim should be to give stability to our laws, con- never thought it worth their while to bring sistency to our policy, and honesty to our the matter before this Council? And why is it administration; all of which I claim the Crown that the profuse oriticisms of property owners Colony system gives with a thoroughness un- and architects, on this very: Bill,, should have
The Hon. Mr. POLLOCK-May it please your Excellency, I think there is one very important question of principle upon which I ought to address this assembly. As the hon. member on my right has explained, the, effect of the present Amending Ordinance is to concentrate consider- able power in his hands as Building Authority under the Public Health and Baildings Ordin. ance. I notice, Sir, in these drafts amending the Bill before the Council, copies of which I have only received within the last twenty-four hours, it is intended to confer still further power upon the Building Authority. He is to be invested with powers in the matter of modification and exemption which have hitherto been exercised either by the Governor in Council or the Sanitary Board under the provision of sections 151, 153, 175, 176, 188, and 216 of the Ordinance. I think, Bir, there can be no doubt that great as the powers of the Building Authority have been in the past it is proposed at all events by the Government that they should be very much greater in the future. Under these circumstances I think it is very important as a question of principle that there should be inserted in this Ordinance a proviso enabling any one who has a dispute with the Building Authority as to the terms of the Ordinance to bring the matter by a short and simple process before the Supreme Court. Anybody, Sir, who is acquainted with the working of Ordinance 1 of 1903 and the Amending Ordinance is well aware that from time to time there have arisen differences of opinion as to the construction of the various sections of the Ordinance. It is also well known, Sir, that there has been considerable delay in the passing of plans. The Building Authority might perhaps construe the Ordinance in a certain way and perhaps insist that his inter- pretation was right while the person who wanted the work done would construe differently and insisting that his interpretation was right, deadlock would be created. There