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THE HOUSING COMMISSION REFORT.
CHINESE OBJECT TO PROPOSALS
HEART-BURNING- OVER
RESERVA
TION PROPOSAL,
The proposed amendment of the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance publish- ed in the Government Gazette on Novem- ber 30th and the residential reservatious advocated in the Housing Commission's Report. were topics of much discussion at an extraordinary general, meeting of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce yesterday.
..
Mr. Li. Po-kwai, Chairman of the Chamber, presided and seated on either sive of huo were the Vice-Chairman (Mr. Ho Kwong), and the Secretary" (Mr. Ip Lan-chuen). Amongst those present wore the Hon. Mr. Chow Shou-son, Messrs' Chan Sinki, T. N. Chau, Trang Foo, Wong Kamving In Chungkus, Choy hing, Is Wing kwong. Simon The You, Poug Waiting. Wong Kwong-tin, Chan Pek-chuen and Fung Ping-shan..
THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE
BUILDING ORDINANCE
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· THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS,
Me. Wovo Kax-vizo pointed out that a number of houses which were not even 220 years old had been pulled down and he thought that this was unfair. Grep benefit would be derived from the con tinuation, of the, Ordinance is suggested by the Commission. He had canvassed the public which endorsed this view. ⠀
Mr. M. K. Lo said that the Rents Con- trul Ordinance did not affect him in the lenst, but if it was to be continued till there was a change in conditions he would want to know if the present Ordinaner would he left standing or a new our drawn up in its place. He stated that as it stood, the Ordinance was vague, in many respects and was only intended to be a temporary measure. Its renewal, on his opinion would make matters worse Old houses were being demolished, the rentals of new houses were very high attention was concentrated on new land, and soon there would be no cheap rente
THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS. INTERESTING LECTURE BY THE
HON MR. H. E POLLOCK,
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19TH, 1923.
| Article 19 enables the Assembly to advise the reconsideration by members of the League of treaties which have become inapplicable, and the consideration of A lecture on The League of Nations "international conditions, whose continu was given last evening in St. John's ance might endanger the peace of the world, Article 20 provides for the Cathedral Hall by the Hon. Mr. H. E abrogation of any understandings be- Pollock, C., to a large and apprecia- tween the members of the League which tive audience. The lecture was held are inconsistant with the terms of the under the auspices of the Church of nothing in this Covenant shall affect Covenant. Article 1 provides that England's Men's Society.
the validity-of-national agreements ar the Mr. POLLOCK began his lecture by regional understandings auch: nu
Article 22 provides Monroe Doctrine." pointing out that the Covenant of the for the establishment at Mandatories to League of Nations did not include all the look after the interests of peoples who exceptions such as the U.S., Ger consists of various labour, economic, nations of the world, there being notable are unable to protect themazives. Article
between them a total population of over connection with some of which specific man, Russia and Turkey, which had moral, trade and, health provisions in 300,000,000. The League now consists of remedial action is being taken by the fifty-four members the last joined of Lengue. Article provides for the whom are the Free State of Ireland and| placing of certain international bureaux Abyssinia By Article 2 of the Covenant under the direction of the League. Arti- at all.
Mr. WoxG Kam-ying differed from Mr.
the League acts through an Assembly cle 25 states that members of the League Lo. He claimed that the main benefit and a Council with a permanent Seers agree to encourage and promote the derived from the Ordinance was that tariat The Council is in future to meet establishment and co-operation of duly was keen incentive to buy and regularly four times a year whilst the authorised national Red Cross organisa- there on new stand and four or League meets annually for about three tions having as their purpose the protec years there would be enough houses for weeks at Geneva.
tion of health and the prevention of everybody. The tenant would suffer moreil may deal with any matter within the throughout the world.
By Article à of the Covenant the Coun- disease and the mitigation of suffering: Article 26 pro- hardship than the landlord if the Ordi- sphere of action of the League or affectvides machinery for making amendments nance were allowed to expire.
ing the peace of the world.
At this stage the CHAIRMAN said that the only thing to do would be to call a
that:
THE RESERVATION QUESTION.
The Churras announced that if the conference, and the matter was left at new hit were passed, it would take away from the building, site tue large a portion' for open space at the hack and the sevenging lane.
* !!
The Secretary explained the changes angde by the new bill
Mr. I pointed out that in houses on Iand 50 feet deep, which were the most comunion in the, Colony, & feet would be
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MUCH REART-BURNING. The next item on the agenda was to discuss the recommendations of the Hous ing Commission regarding reservations.
Mn M. K. Lo said that in his opinion the reserving of part of Kowloon for Europeans as suggested by the Housing Commission would lead to separation of classes, Chinese could not be blamed for
The Council.consists of ten members of the League, of whom four (namely the British Empire, France, Italy and Japan) are permanently represented on the Coun ail. The six other members of the Coun- cil are elected every year. They are now Belgium, Branl. Czecho-Slovakia, Spais, Sweden and Uruguay. The Council, it may he added, is the same as between September, 1022, and, September: 1023 with the exception that Czecho Slovakia has taken the place of China.
in the Covenant.
SOME OF THE "LEAGUE'S ACHIEVEMENTS.
The speaker then went on to give some information (which is necessarily incom plete) as to some of the achievenients of the League. On the international side the League has dealt with
1.The intricate upper Silesian bound- ay question between Polani, France, and Germany..
deducted for the scavenging lane, 14 feet buying property from Europeans who of the. Assembly or the Council certain Italian delegates. By its inter-
inches for open space and 3 feet for the front and rear walls. Excluding the kitchen, the accommodation proper would only be about 21 feet deep. He referred to the difficulty of providing staircases, Intrines and kitchens in the reduced space. There were, he said, rows of houses in Lee Yuen Street East, Fat Hting Street, Jervois Street and Queen's Itoad which were already too small to permit of auch drastic reduction.
The Hon. Mr. R. H. KOTEWALL Kent a letter asking to be excused from attend are for the discussion of the Bill and residential reservations proposed in the Housing Commission's Report.
were unanimous in a desire to have the
The Hon. Mr. Chow's personal opinion was that the proposed legislation was
unfair.
Mr. PONG WAITING, Chairman of the Bank of Asia and a'large property owner; submitted that the legislation affected both owners and tenants and would cause great inconvenience. 2
3. Ho Kwoye proposed find Mr. T. N. CHAU seconded a motion that the two Chinese representatives in the Legisla tive Council be asked to get the informa tion, and meanwhile a sub-committee be
appointed.
8. The delimitation of the frontier be
The interpretation of certain treaties. 3. The dispute between Italy and Article & of the Covenant provides that, Greece, which led to the bombardment as a general rule, decisions at any meet. of Corfu in reprisal for the killing of require the agreement of all members ention, the League secured sufficient were under no compunction to sell. They of the League present at such meetings. delay to avert a serious European War. were attracted by the good prices offered Article 9 relates to the personel of the hand over the Auland Islands in the A dispute between Sweden and Fin- If reservations were made with the under- Secretariat. Article 7 makes all posit Baltic. standing that any property therein could tions in connection with the Lengue open. The delimitation of the frontiers of not be sul to other nationalities that to women as well as to men. Article Albania, thus stopping a threatened. property would not have such a high provides for the limitation of ammuments Jugo-Slar invasion of Albanian territory. value in the market. In conversation | of members of the League and also states with Mr. Alabaster, when the latter press-that the manufacture by private enter ed for the Cheung Chau European reprise of munitions and implements of tween Poland and Czecho-Slovakia servation, he (Mr. Lo) understood Mr. waris open to grave objections. Article steps towards the restoration of tho The League has also taken effective Alabaster to say that when the Peak and provides for the constitution of national credit of Austria and is begin- a part of Cheung Chau were reserved Permanent Commission to advise the the question of more accommodation for Council on the execution of Articles 1 hing to take similar steps for the restera- Europeans would not be likely to arise
He agreed that Mr. Alabaster tions generally. Article 10 provides for with the important question of the pro-
to S, and on military, naval, and air question of the cational credit of Hungar again.
The League is also interesting itself was not authorised to speak on behalf the preservation against external aggression of minorities in the various States of of the European community, but his argu- sion of the territorial integrity and poli Europe. ment went to show that if the question tical independence of members of the of reservations was sanctioned it would League, and also that the Council shall have no ending.
obligations shall be fulfilled. advise upon the means by which these
1
(Continued on next column.).
In connection with Articles 23, 24 and
the League has:
4. Framed a new Convention to sup press the traffic in women and children (which trathc was stopped during the war owing to the difficulties of com- munication, but has since revived),
Another benevolent matter which has
for Armenians, free of Turkish control.
Useful work has also been done in con-
The Hon. Mr. CHow said that in com pany with Mr. Katewall, he had seen the SC.A., the Attorney General and the Colonial Secretary. He had pointed out
The Hon. Mr. Chow, said that although the hardship to property-owners and in- eunvenience to house-holders that the bibe agreed with Mr. Lo on a great many Article 11 provides for the summoning would impose. The Government had pro- subjects he could not see eye to eye with
of the Council in case any emergency mised to adjourn the first reading of the him on this it was entirely a question should arise threatening the peace of bill. He understood some of the awaers'
of economies and not racial distinction.
nations, whether members of the League
Procured some relaxation of the re proposed getting up a petition. If in the
He was in sympathy with Europeans and or not Articles 12, 13 and 15 contain strictions on passengers' passporte. interval, they would get together "and
Portuguese living here who had no per important clauses for the submission. 43. Taken measures to check the spread inform him of their views, he would pre-
manent home on account of the high disputes between members of the League
of typhus and cholers in Eastern Europe.. sent their ease to the Government. 3r prices: paid by the Chinese. But is was
to arbitration, and Article 17 provides
4...Taken measures to provide for the Chow also mentioned that the Govern purely an economical question and also
for arbitration of disputes between
repatriation of a number of war-prison- went bad twice brought the proposals concerned the middle and lower classes States, one or both of which are not er, after the war, at a cost of £100,000. forward and had adjourned them
Chinese. When Europeans were press-members of the League, with a delay of
A Taken measures to provide for the Mr. Ho Kwoso said he thought owners ed out of their homes they had to ask three months before a declaration of war repatriation of Russian and Greek re-
the Government for a place to live in Bill withdrawn. In 1003 the Government and this was a necessity and not racial Article 14 provides for the establishment fugees. (In connection with this subject of a Court of International Justice to it was reported to the League in August ordered one-third for open spaces. In distinction. In his opinion reservations hear and determine any disputes of saat that 140,000 Russian refugee children 1923 it is one half. What was to prevent for all classes was quite fair, but if it was national character which parties thereby were spread over Europe, the majority it being three-quarters in 1943 and, the solely for Europeans he thought it un-
submits to it That Court may also of whom were destitute).. whole lot in 1963.
fait. As the Government was willing to The Hoa. r. Cnow undertook to ask make reservations for all classes, thereive an advisory opinion upon any ques tion or dispute referred to it by the the Government for data as to why the was no class cor race distinction. Be Council or Assembly. Article 18. places occupied the attention of the League has previous proposals were withdrawn.*
aid that D5 per cent. of Hongkong pro- Br. Lo then endorsed Mr Chow's view perty was owned by Chinese. It aid not upon other members of the League the been the setting up of a National Bome "As to the necessity for appointing a sub. Beem strange that people should ask why duty of severing trade or financial rela- committee and said that if the proposals everybody else could live on the Peak tions and enforcing the prohibition of nection with the International Labour of the Bill were put into force there would when the Chinese could not. He was intercourses with persons residing in Bureau in regard to dangorous trades and
State resorting to war in disregard of not be enough room in some of the houses sure that if Chineso were allowed to live Articles 12, 13 and 15.
other matters affecting the wellare of Article 16 also labour, including unemployment.. for a dog to live in.
on the Peak nine out of ten would not provides for the Council recommending
The League has also been active in the do so. "When Europeans get up, we to the several Governments concerned Chinese go to bed. We think a great the contribution of effective naval, mili-promotion of the war against disease deal of our fiddle, and they love their tary, and air forces in order to enforce generally, in regard to which it is some- what astonishing to find (as pointed out piano. But they think our instrument an
the Covenants of the League. Article 13 in a leading article in the Daily Press awful row and we say that the piano is intolerable. His policy had always been prohibits the making of secret treatics of January 5th, 1992) that the figures of between any members of the League deaths by disenses exceed the numbers ( to allow others to benefit as much as
of those. killed in battle during the Great they could as long as it did not harm
War. For example. (a) between the him and he endorsed it on this occa-
years 1914 and 1918 twenty millions were. sion. There has been peace between the
killed in battle as compared with thirty Europeans and Chinese for many decades
3. Ho Kwone pointed out that it was millions who died of disease; (b) in the in this Colony. It was no use crying out not imperative for the Government to influenza epidemic of 1918 six million against something that did them no harm accept the report and carry it out in full. deaths were recorded in India alune ; (c) If the position was different, like the
However, he disagreed with Mr. Chow the National Service Department in Eng- proposed Housing Bill which had been on the point that it was an economic land found that out of two and a half discussed to-day, They
"would oppose it to the end of time" In conclusion he question. He said that the Shek Ore million men between the ages of 30 and pointed out that the Government need servation had been unsuccessful, but if 12 only 900,000, or 36 per cent, were phy- not accept the Commission's recommenda- Europeans wanted land they could always sically fit for active military service, paws of their two representatives." "tions in full. If there was anything supply. He also opposed the reservation. whilst the Health Insurance statistics for The CHAIRMAN then suggested that England show that more than 10 million The sub-committee ·comprised
thegested that was good for Europeans but resointion he put to the meeting when insured persons lose by disease more than Chamber's executive committee together bad for Chinese ho did not think the Mr. Lo got up to remind those present so million working days a year-equiva withTM 31. William. Hall, architect, and Government would put it into force.
that the Chamber had always disapproved lent, excluding Sundays, to 250,000 work Mesurs. Fung Ping-shan, Li Yau-chuen, ML LO AND LACIAL DISTINCTIONS. of reservations and it would seem childish
ing years. Tok To-kni, Leung Pat-tu. Pong Wai- ting Charr, In-Room-thun Cha Mr. Lo replying raid that he strongly if it changed its opinion now. Siu-wa, Chan Pik-chuen, In Lui-kong, deprecated any rupture between Chinese this stage a pomber of persons bez Kwok Chuen. Li Sing-kui. Mok Ching and Europeans but he was not an ostrich the meeting, these including Mr. Cha
oug. Fa Yik-paux. Tam Wun-tong, that hid its head in the sand and took itki who had previously served of the
Legislative Council Leung Kwai-tin, Li Sui-pang, with power everything for granted." It was all very to add to their number.
well to speak of reservations for Chi-I Bese. ," he said," but we form far too big | THE RENTS CONTROL ORDINANCE.
a percentage of the people for anything tangible to be done. The Europeans have VIEWS OF A THOUGHTFUL CHAIRMAŃ.
only themselves to blame for their posi On the subject of the Rents Control tion. They sold there property when Ordinance, particularly in regard to the there was indeerment and only recently evominendation of the Housing Commis A sale had been put through in his office sion that the Ordinance he prolonged whereby a European sold property: for until normal conditions prevail in the over a million dollars. Why could not Colony and there is peace in the neigh Europeans who were unprovided for, form houring Provinces, the CHATMAN said an association, apply for land and build that he had heard a great deal from both instead of asking for a general reserval owners and tenants, the former voising tion. Mr. Fletcher was agreeable to this dissatisfaction and the latter fearing that and the forty-year lease was especially the ordinance would not be renewed favourable for building. If reservations *Of course," said Mr. L. needle were put into force there would gradu cannot be sharp at both ends. By this ally be distinctions whereby Europeans. he meant that the legislation could not would come first and Chinese last honeft both sides. In his opinion ns the Hon. Mr Chow replied: "I am not property owners were in a minority, and trying to carry the Europeans' big foot, comprised mostly rich men, they could but I really believe that this is purely aford to oblige the majority, but the an economic question." He pointed out owner could be excused for disliking the that the Hon. Mr. Kutowall who was on law when he could not even get back the Housing Commission had said that he his own property. After referring to the did not agree with a reservation in Kow- burning question of house demolition in loan for Europeans unless similar facili. The Colony, Mr. Li said he thought the ties were available for Chinese He had only solution lay in calling a conference to disagree when Mr. Lo called it race betweca representatives of both land- distinction. fords and tenants
(Continued of foot, of next column)
This resolation was unanimously ap proved.
At this stage the Ho Mr. Cnow op pealed to all property owners to take a interest in the matter and not make cat's
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THE PEAK HAS NO ATTRACTIONH TOE CHINESE.
THE LIMITATION OF ARMAMENTS,
On the question of the Limitation of. Armaments, the League has recently drawn up an important treaty for signa ture between incmbers of the League consenting to limit their armaments and to guarantee one another against external Pointing out that Europenas objected aggression. That treaty had not yet been to Chinese ceremonies and on the other actually signed by any party to the hand, the Chinese disliked European League but it will, no doubt, furnish an dances, Mr. Wong Kwong tin said that important basis for discussion during the even if a number of Chinese were invited year: 1924. to live on the Fenk free of rent very few As regards the limitation of naval would go up there. In the suma way
armaments the League has invited the Europeans would not live in Chinese Governments of Argentin, Chili, Don- Street (opposite the Central Fire mark, Greece, Norway, the Netherlands, Station); e, also said that if Chinese Rassis and Turkey to send naval repre were su keen to live on the Peak, he could sentatives to a conference to be held at not understand the action of a Chinese Geneva on January 21, 1924, to discuss gentleman who recently exchanged some the extensions of the principles of the property on the Penk for houses in China Washington Naval Treaty to those States. Town
The U.S.A has also been invited re- Mr. Ho Kwose at once pressed bir cently to co-operate in an attempt to Wong to give the name of the gentleman solve and place on a universal and per- in question, but the Chairman ruled that manent basis the private manufacture of this had nothing to do with the agenda.
arma and the international traffic thero Mr. Ho Luxa then seconded Mr. Lo's in proposal that the Chanter express an Ar. Pollock concluded his address by opinion against reservations pointing out that though the League feil On it being pas to the meeting 24 short of a Porliament of Manit Total for the motion and eight against nevertheless deserved the hearty support was decided to write to the two Chi- of those who were anxious to promote hese representatives to ask them to in the peaceful, economic and moral, recon- form the Cavernment of this decisionstruction of the world. (Applause.)
"This was all the business before the A votes of thanks to the hon. gentleman -tueeting
concluded a very interesting meeting.
pecting
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