No. 438.
29153/01
Government House,
Hongkong, 25th October, 1901.
With reference to my Despatch No. 254 of the 13th of last July, forwarding Petition on the question of execution of Hongkong Sanitation and especially calling to the system of drainage that has been adopted, it may be interesting to attach extracts from reports made by Mr. Mansergh in 1898 upon the surface drainage system of Colombo and in 1899 on the surface system in Melbourne, by which it will be seen that surface drainage has its dangers and disadvantages. I also enclose an extract from the "Times of India" showing that heavy as was, unhappily, the mortality of Hongkong in 1900, from the results of the plague epidemic, the total death rate, including plague mortality, of 34.18 per mille contrasts very favourably with the 37.98 per mille shown by the Bombay returns.
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN,
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient
Humble servant,
Governor, &c.