May 25, 1908.]
Mr. HOOPEB-Do you mean if they were attached to the house ?
The VICE PRESIDENT—You mean on lawns attached to ordinary delling houses ?
Mr LAU CHU-PAK—Yes;
Mr. HOOPER-If it was aftached to the wall of the house it would be a part of the building under this definition.
The VICE-PRESIDENT-The definition is intended to apply to sunshades in common use throughout the city. Those things put up in Jervois Street and elsewhere.
Mr. HOOPER-You mean if it is actually fixed?
The VICE-PRESIDENT-Yes.
Mr. HOOPERAnd not capable of being moved or rolled up ?
The VICE-PRESIDENT-As a matter of fact nearly all of them are moveable. The other sunshades were found to interfere with the operations of the Fire Brigade and the sun. shades were made with hinges so that they could flap against the wall
Mr. HOOPER-8hould you consider that as part of the building if it is. hinged or capable of coming down.
The VICE-PRESIDENT-It would come under the definition of building here. The term sunshade comes under this, no matter whether it projects or flags down.
Mr. LAU CHU-PAK-We have no definition of sunshade in the Ordinance ?
The VICE-PRESIDENT-No.
The PRESIDENT-I think the word defines itself.
Mr. HOOPER-Are you very keen about retaining this word sunshade ?
The VICE-PRESIDENT-I think it ought to stand.
Mr. LAU CHU-PAK-Ân umbrella is a sunshade,
Captain LYONS-It is a local term in common use. I don't see any use in quibbling about it,
Mr. HOOPER-You don't know what con- struction they will put upon it.
Mr LAU CHU-PAK moved the deletion of the word sunshade from the definition of building.
Mr. HOOPER seconded, On a vote being taken the motion was lost,
THE USH OF CHATTIES.
On considering clause 39 relating to the provision of metal hoods for fire places so as to carry the smoke above the roof,
Mr. LAU CHU PK-The Chinese use chatties and there are no flues to take away the smoke from the kitchens.
The VICE-PRESIDENT-We get complaints from Chinese that their neighbours have no chimneys in their houses.
Mr. LAU CHU-PAK-If they have no fire place, will they be required to provide a chimney?
The VICE-PRESIDENT-No. Hon. Mr. IRVING-If they have a chimney must they have a fireplace ?
The VICE PRESIDENT-No, there is nothing n the Ordinance to say so, It says that every fire place shall be constructed with a proper chimney or smoke flae. I think that is a reasonable requirement.
Hon. Mr. IRVING-You don't interpret these chatties as fireplaces. If a chatty is a fireplace you are not allowed to use one in a room which has not a chimney.
The VICE President-I don't think a chatty can be imagined a fireplace.
Mr. LAU CHU-PAK- I remember some years ago the Chinese were found fault with for using ohatties.
The PRESIDENT-All of them have smoke places !
Mr. LAU CHU-PAK-No. Hon, Mr. IEVING-I would suggest a proviso that chatty should not be considered as a fire. place within the meaning of the section.
Captain LYONS-You want to get rid of
obatties P
Mr. L、U CHU PAK-How can you ? Captain LYONS-Don't you want to get rid
of chatties in time ?
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Hon. Mr. IRVING-We don't want to recast the whole Chinese cooking arrangement in drafting this section. We must consider them.
Mr. LAU CHU PAK-Each man cooks his own food and they must use chatties. A proviso should be made that, where chatties are used, they should not be compelled to have flues,
A motion to the effect indicated was proposed by Hon Mr. IRVING, and seconded by Mr. LAU CHU-PAK, and carried,
IMPROVING INSANITARY AREAS.
The Board proceeded to consider section 153. "153a. Whenever the Board on the representa- tion of the medical officer of health or of any assistant medical officer of health is satisfied that any of the rooms in any block of domes tic buildings are so dark as to be dangerous or prejudicial to the health of the inmates, the Board may apply in writing to the Go- vernor-in-Council to undertake the demolition of all storeys above the lowermost storey of every third building in sach block, and to provide additional windows for such of the buildings as are allowed to remain, or the carrying out of such other works as the Board may deem necessary
to render such buildings healthy, and the Government may thereupon carry out such work, and the amount of compensation to be paid to the owners of such buildings as are demolished wholly or in part shall be determined by arbitration in the manner provided by Sections 251 to 254 inclusive of this Ordinance.
Hos. Mr. IRVING-I propose that the word fireplace shall not include a chatty.
The PRESIDENT-Suppose you have half a dozen there will be more smoke from them than from an ordinary fireplace.
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said that if such a charge devolved on property as indicated by Mr. Hooper property would be. come more or less unsaleable. He would liké to ask the President whether it was contemplate ed doubling or trebling the staff of inspectors in the Colony because every one of the roofs of the third houses would become a receptacle for all sorts of rubbish thrown from the adjoining houses. As regards compensation it proposed to make the landlords pay towards the compensation which he received.
That was no compensation at all. If the mea8 UTOS sanitary measures for the good of the community then the community as a whole ought to pay and not individual landlords,
WAS
were
The VICE-PRESIDENT explained that if that scheme were carried out the demolition of every third house-there would be greater accommodation in the remaining houses and 8.8 the landlords of those remaining houses- benefitted it was suggested that they should contribute towards the cost of the improvement. That was one of the recommendations of the Cubicle Committee.
CAPTAIN LYONS said the fact of a. greater number of people being accommodated in the remaining houses would lead to overcrowding.
Mr. HOOPER said the game was not worth the candle. If the Government attempted such a scheme they would find the remaining houses dome tumbling down like a pack of cards.
The motion was carried.
A QUESTION OF JUSTICE.
On the question of the owner agreeing to put in a scavenging lane without compensation and a memorandum to invest such lane in the crown should be registered without the consent of the mortgagee being necessary,
Mr. HoorEE said the rights of the mortgages were always recognised in law.
The VICE-PRESIDENT thought they were getting away from their duties as a Sanitary Board.
The cost of any such improvement scheme may be recovered by the Government from the owners of the buildings which are benefitted thereby by the levying of a spoial "improve- ment rate" which shall not exceed seven per cent. of the capital outlay and shall be pay- able for a period not exceeding thirty years.' Mr. HOOPER This is one of the most important sections in the ordinance affecting property to the extent of millions by enabling the Government, if they consider that a certain property is dark or insanitary, to pull down the upper storeys of every third house. From a sanitary point of view, I think this is bad.
Mr. HOOPER replied that he would not be they pulled down every third house it would be dictated to in that way. The Government seat a different matter, but leaving the ground floor
the Bill to them for their observations and the will make it liable to become very insanitary. Colonial Ceoretary had sent him a copy of he It will make a well which will be very objection. amended bill. That was the only place he had able. Speaking on behalf of those interested in of addressing the Government and while the property I don't think we have much objection members of the Board may not attach muck because the Government will have to com- weight to his remarks, yet they reasued the pensate the owner of the property demolished, Governor and the public learned what 1 eir but the second part of the seotion, if carried,r presentatives said about it. It might not ha will not reduce the value of property in the agreeable to the parties concerned, but ne was Colony but will drive capital out of the Colony.guing to prooed until called to order by the To-day the Chinese particularly are very clary President. Mr. Hooper then stated his objection about investing money ia bouse property
to such a cond.tion 28 the consent of the because they don't know where they stand, mortgagee not being necessary, and described They have lost confidence in the Government, it as not in accord with English jusuce tuat because they don't know when the Govern. the mortgagee should not be conssulted. ment is going to introduce fresh sanitary and
Mr. LAU CHU-PAK seconded the motion for building laws which will discodat the value of the deletion of that part, their property. Take this case. A house is to be pulled down in the Queen's Road. Com- pensation has to be paid to the owner. be raised by a rate levied on the owners of the adjoining property who will benefit by the demolition of the other property. They will have more light and more fresh air but the owner will be called upon to pay for this improvement by a rate which will become a permanent charge on that property for perhaps
It is to
The motion was carried.
THE OPIUM QUESTION.
PROTEST BY THE HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
:
animonely by the Committee of the Hongkong The following resolution was passed un- 30 years and not exceeding seven per cet. A man who bought property would have no confid-Chamber of Commerce, at a meeting held on ence that the Government in pulling down some Saturday the 16th inst:-
"The Committee of the Chamber resord their other property would not create a charge on his property. There was another class of inves-strong protest against any arbitrary órdórs to close the Imperial Government ter who will have no confidence the mortgagee. from We know that the cash transactions on build-immediately the Opium divans in Hongkong,
"The Committee of this Chamber is entirely ings here could not take place unless there had been people to assist with mortgages. Then there sympathetic towards a reasonable bone-fide are people at home who send out money to efforts for the mitigation of the abuse of opiam invest in property. Their security will be but is of the opinion that any action having for discounted to such an extent that they will its object the immediate suppression of the tale hesitate in fature to invest. hat is a
and use of opium in Hongkong will have serious retrograde step for the Government to take, affects on the economic conditions here and lead affecting owners, affecting mortgagees and also to disastrous results to the Colony's prosperity affecting the Government because it will unless similar action is enforced in China. reduce the annual value of property, thereby producing less rates and they wil also have difficulty in finding a market for their land.
The VICE-PRESIDENT-1t forms one of the recommendations of the Cabiple Committee.
Mr. HOOPER-What is your view on the points I have raised?
Mr. HUMPHREYS seconded Mr. Hooper's mo- tion for the deletion of the second paragraph, He
"Ibis therefore resolved to request the Hong- kong Government to inform the Imperial Go- vernment that any hasty and ill-considered action taken in this matter to the detriment of the interests of this Colony will be generally resented, but that on the other hand a policy of gradual reduction similar in its motion to the Imperial Government's agreement with Iddin will be loyally supported,”?
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