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the experience gained, alike of its fatal character and rapid spread and of a serious dislocation of business and special loss to the shipping trade, the Authorities are now practically as helpless in its presence as they were in the memorable year 1894. The numbers of cases, now as then, are little in excess of the numbers of deaths; the exodus of the Chinese has, now as then, commenced to be on a formidable scale; and the virulence of the pest seems now to be even more marked than in 1894,
It is unfortunately true that medical science has not yet discovered any means of successfully grappling with the plague, but that fact should not stand in the way of measures being taken to arrest its spread, or of the adoption of such precautions in the handling of the sick, the cleansing of drains and houses, and the inspection of slums, as might tend to curtail the ravages of this scourge within certain limits.
The loss sustained by the suspension of emigration, the imposition of quarantine at neighbouring ports on arrivals from Hongkong, the reduction in imports and exports, and the diversion and restriction of trade generally, constitute a serious drain upon the commercial community, the more disquieting since it threatens to be of annual recurrence.
The Committee are loth to intervene in any matters even apparently outside the domain of trade, but this question is so intimately bound up with the welfare of this great port that they feel it would be a grave omission did they fail to point out how, in their opinion, the Government have made themselves largely responsible for the present state of things prevailing.
If this were not a matter of notoriety, it would only be necessary to refer to the speech of the Medical Officer of Health on the drainage system at the last meeting of the Sanitary Board, when proposing the following resolution:--
"That the Board recommend the Government to utilise all the fresh water which now runs to waste in the trained and untrained nullahs of the city by building dams and forming tanks for the automatic flushing of the sewers and storm-water drains."
Dr. Clark then enumerated a number of recommendations made by Mr. Osbert Chadwick in 1882, all of which were necessary, but few of which had, up to the present moment, been carried into effect, while in most instances they had been simply ignored.
Thus, with regard to the separate system of drainage, most unhappily introduced into the colony, one of Mr. Chadwick's recommendations was that flushing tanks for sewers to be filled by the flow in the nullahs should be erected. The Committee, while opposed to the separate system as eminently unsuited to the circumstances of the colony, recognise that, if the system has to be endured, its evils will clearly be mitigated by provision being made through the frequent and copious flushing of the sewers, and they regret that this obvious fact was not also long since recognised by the Government.
Other recommendations made by Mr. Chadwick were-(1) The formation of continuous back alleys; (2) the provision of 600 cubic feet of space per head in all rooms sub-divided by cubicles; (3) the formation of a fund to carry out large sanitary schemes; (4) the construction of all roads and drains prior to the sale of the building lots; (5) the acquisition by Government of all existing public latrines, their reconstruction, and the provision of more; (6) the abatement of the nuisance caused by hawkers squatting in the public streets; (7) the increase of the market accommodation; and (8) the provision of public bath-houses with a good supply of water (which last suggestion the Committee note with satisfaction is now being acted upon with good results). The report in which the foregoing recommendations were embodied concluded with the following remarks, which, in the light of subsequent events, were most prophetic "I trust that even should the suggestions be found undesirable or impracticable, my report will show the necessity for strong and complete
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measures of sanitation, and I trust that they will be undertaken for the immediate benefit of the public health without waiting for the necessity to be demonstrated by the irresistible logic of a severe epidemic."
As Dr. Clark truly remarks :-" The logic came twelve years later, when the necessity for these reforms was demonstrated by an outbreak of bubonic plague in epidemic form. Almost all these matters are crying needs in Hongkong nineteen years after this report was written."
In the opinion of the Committee, the Colony possesses in the Medical Officer of Health a valuable and energetic officer, whose untiring efforts to promote the sanitation of the city merit every encouragement; whereas, his recommendations, like those of Mr. Chadwick, have been frequently ignored, shelved, or pared down when adopted.
My Committee desire to draw attention to the folly of allowing the prejudices of officials, the fear of expense, or the dread of unofficial opposition to stand in the way of the execution of sanitary measures which are known to be necessary and which have been insisted upon time after time by experts. If any doubt be entertained as to the practicability or expedience or otherwise of such recommendations, no time should be lost in referring them to a higher authority for decision. The time has now arrived when vigorous action should be taken to secure the continuance of the progress of the Colony, and to adequately protect the great commercial interests so adversely affected by these disastrous annual epidemics.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
R. CHATTERTON WILCOX,
Secretary.
Colonial Secretary's Office,
Hongkong, 13th June, 1901.
I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 7th instant, and to inform you that His Excellency the Governor joins with the Chamber of Commerce in the regret that here, as in India, the anxious efforts of the Government have failed to control Bubonic Plague, or to materially check its ravages.
As to the various matters on which the Committee of the Chamber of Commerce have been good enough to give their views, they have long been subjects of most anxious consideration by those whose professional knowledge and experience best fitted them to advise upon them, and some have been dealt with by the Legislative Council. His Excellency would suggest that as the Chamber of Commerce is directly represented in the Council, it should request its representative to bring its views before that body, where the grounds for assumptions which appear to have been somewhat hastily adopted may be clearly stated and fully answered. His Excellency instructs me to add that nothing could more contribute to the commercial losses pointed out in the fourth paragraph of the letter than reckless statements, some untrue, and others greatly exaggerated, that have appeared from time to time in the public Press; and the apparent acceptance of these statements by the members of the Committee of the Chamber of Commerce, without investigation or adequate knowledge, is not calculated to allay fears that, if continued, may permanently affect the prosperity of this Colony,
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