44 + I A hot to be copred C.0. 22257 RECO 459 SANITARY BOARD OF, 19 Hoyakong, h Tunder 1898.
SIR-We have the honour to submit for the consideration of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government the following remarks and suggestions on the Report of the Commission appointed by Sir WILLIAM ROBINSON, G.C.M.G., to enquire into the existence of insanitary properties in the Colony, which was forwarded to us in your letter No. 557 of the 7th April, 1898.
2. We regret the delay that has occurred in formulating our comments on the Report, but the subject is one of such vital importance to the future welfare of the Colony that we have been loth to express an opinion until after the fullest consideration.
3. The recommendations of the majority of the Commissioners taken as a whole appear to us to fall short of what the evidence both oral and documentary, which they had before them, would have justified them in making, and to be inadequate to meet the need for immediate sanitary improvement, and for such further legislation as will prevent the erection in the future of insanitary dwellings.
4. We will now proceed to examine in detail the recommendations of the Commissioners, which, for the purpose of comparison, we append in parallel columns with our own suggestions.
The Commissioners have endeavoured to fit their recommendations to the four classes of insanitary houses to which their attention was drawn in the letter from Mr. F. A. COOPER and Dr. F. W. CLARK dated the 9th September, 1896.
The classification was a useful one by which to fix the attention on the principal insanitary conditions that prevail among houses in the City, but it seems unnecessary and undesirable to classify in a similar manner suggestions to ameliorate these conditions.
5. Accordingly, in our suggestions we have made provisions which are applicable to every house. If the house is already provided with the air space which we consider it should have in its rear, then, of course, it will not be necessary to interfere with it.
### RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE INSANITARY PROPERTIES COMMISSION
#### Class A.—Back-to-back houses.
Clause 6.—Where these houses have each a greater total depth than 20 feet from front to back, one half of the entire space intervening between the principal rooms and the enclosing walls at the back of the premises on each floor should be open to the sky; severe penalties should be inflicted on any one closing or allowing said space to be closed and the Magistrate should have full power to order the prompt removal of the obstructions.
Where in back-to-back houses over 26 feet in depth there is now no space between the principal rooms and the enclosing walls at the back of the premises the land owner should be compelled by law to so alter the construction of his house as to provide for an open space at the back of not less than 40 square feet.
Wherever there is now or wherever there is to be constructed under the recommendations contained herein an open space at the back of any house, a window not less than one-thirtieth of the floor area must be opened into it from the back of the main room.
These regulations shall not apply to houses situate at the corner of two main streets and adequately lighted from two sides.
#### Class C—Houses with insufficient open space in the rear.
Clause 8.—One-half of the entire space between the principal rooms and the enclosing walls at the back of the premises on each floor should be open to the sky, such space not to be less than forty square feet in any case.
#### Class D.—Houses abutting on the hill-side.
Clause 9.—One-half of the entire space intervening between the principal rooms and the hill-side against which the premises abut should be open to the sky, such space not to be less than forty square feet in any case.
### RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE SANITARY BOARD
Depth of Houses Open Space Required Not exceeding 40 feet 50 sq. ft. Exceeding 40 ft. not exceeding 50 ft. 60 sq. ft. Exceeding 50 ft. not exceeding 60 ft. 73 sq. ft. Exceeding 60 ft. not exceeding 90 ft. 90 sq. ft. Exceeding 90 ft. 130 sq. ft.Provided always that when the owners of a block of buildings agree to form a lane opening at either end upon a public street, and free from obstruction throughout, the foregoing rules should be modified as follows:
- Houses not exceeding 40 ft. in depth: a lane not less than 6' wide.
- Houses exceeding 40 but not exceeding 50 feet in depth: 8' wide.
- Houses exceeding 50 but not exceeding 60 feet in depth: 11' wide.
- Houses exceeding 60 feet in depth: 13' wide.
Should the construction of any such lane involve the demolition of houses at one or both ends of such lane in order to form an entrance or exit to the public street, such houses should be resumed by the Government.
All such lanes must be concreted, channelled, drained, lit and maintained in a sanitary condition by the owners.
The Sanitary Board should have power in special cases, to modify the provisions of the foregoing regulations, when such modification may appear necessary.
For the purposes of these rules the formation of one or more openings through the wall which under ordinary circumstances would form the party wall between two adjacent houses, shall not entitle such houses to be considered as one house.
Note. In all cases in which a continuous lane is thus provided, we consider that the Government might resume the land, after it has been surfaced and channelled by the owners, to the satisfaction of the Director of Public Works, should the owners agree to apply for such resumption.
In no case should any obstruction whatever be permitted to be erected in these open spaces or lanes and the Police Magistrate should have full power to order the immediate removal of all such obstructions, including articles of merchandise, furniture, &c. stored in the lane.