Sir,
Enclosure 1.
Sanitary Board Offices,
Hong Kong, 3rd June 1899.
I have the honour to submit the following report upon
the question of overcrowding in the City of Victoria for the
information of His Excellency the Governor:-
The prevention of overcrowding has two aspects.
(1) The overcrowding in dwellings by which I mean the occupation
of a domestic building by such a number of persons that the
floor space and cubic space required by Sec. 9 of Ordinance 15
of 1894 (namely, 50 square feet and 400 cubic feet per head)
is not allowed (2) The overcrowding of dwellings, or "surface
crowding" as it is termed, which unhappily exists to a very
serious extent in this City of Victoria. With regard to the
first question, that of overcrowding in dwellings, the matter
is already fully dealt with as far as regards common lodging
houses, opium divans, and matsheds, and during last year 136
prosecutions for the overcrowding of such premises were insti-
tuted by me and 129 convictions obtained. I am of the opinion
that overcrowding in tenement dwellings does not exist to any
great extent.
Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockhart,
Colonial Secretary.