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49
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
I have given all the suggestions that have been brought to our notice our careful consideration; and if we are not advocating more amendments than those mentioned by the Honourable Senior Uu- official Member, it is because we realise that the Ordinance is, after all, a purely temporary measure, at which it would be undesirable to tinker more than is absolutely necessary.
We strongly support the proposed amendment for giving power to a Com- mittee, to be appointed by the Governor in-Council, to postpone the operation of notices to quit and the demolition and reconstruction of domestic tenements for a prescribed period. The amendment which has just been read by the Hon. Senior Unofficial Member is so framed as
any
|
receives
imposing a penalty on any lessor who, of mula fide intent, demands or more than the standard rent. We trust that this amendment will be accepted by the Government so as to give a check to the machinations of the unscrupulous land- lord, and the iniquitous intermediate tenant.
Turning now to the complaints of the landlords, we, that is my Chinese colleague and I, are aware that the operation of the Ordinance does entail hardship on some, especially on those to whom their rent constitutes their sole source of income: but such a condition of affairs is unavoidable in special legislation of this kind.
ran
We
houses will soon be met to such an extent only hope that the demand for to obviate any possible imputation of bad the measure which, whatever good it may as will justify this Council in repealing faith on the part of the Government in regard to reconstruction, because
do. does not, after all, get to the root it is to affect only future applica-
of the evil. But, Sir, while the shortage tions therefor. It will also obviate
exists. the continuation of the Ordinance fear that hardship may be inflicted on
appears to us to be necessary, and we some landlords, or that a good opportu. | will, therefore, vote for its extension for nity of having old and insanitary houses another twelve months. (Applause.) rebuilt would be lost, because the proposed Committee is to be allowed absolute discretion in the exercise of its power. While on this subject of recon- struction. I wish to say that I am deeply indebted to the learned Attorney-General, to whom I went to seek enlightenment, for the opinion that a domestic tenement reconstructed under section
Sub-section 1 (f) of
the prin cipal Ordinance
necessarily entirely new building within the meaning of Section 9, Sub-section 2 of that Ordinance, unless it is. in point of fact, an entirely new building; and that therefore, a building reconstructed under the former Section, but not coming within the latter, is subject to the Rents Ordinance Whether the stand- ard rent of such a building would be the rent on the 31st December, 1920, or the rents at which the building was first let after the reconstruction, would probably depend upon whether the reconstructed house was or was not substantially iden- tical with the former house. I have ven- tured, Sir to repeat this important opinion here in order to give wide publicity to a point of law which probably is not generally known to the public.
ab
is
not
!)
My Chinese colleague and I also support the proposed amendment for
of the numerous points which have been THE COLONIAL SECRETARY-In view raised, I
am afraid I must ask the patience of the Council while I traverse a rather wide field. But before I begin I may take the opportunity to express the obliga- tion of the Government and my own personal gratitude to the Senior Un- official member for his assistance in investigating numerous cases of hardship and in exploring all avenues which might possibly lead to an adequate solution of this most difficult housing and rents question. I would like to add my thanks for the excel- lent work done by the hon. members repre- senting the Chinese community on behalf of their compatriots. The matters most immed- lately before this Council are petitions from the tenants of Belilios Terrace and the residents of Rutter Street, to the latter of which I will refer later. Regarding Belilios Terrace there are forty-two families, numbering about 200 souls, housed in the 27 buildings of these three terraces, and it undoubtedly is, as the Senior Unofficial Member has said, a very great hardship that this sheltered, self-contained com- munity should be evicted at such short notice; but it must be remembered that, they owe it to the generosity of the Belilios family that their rents have not been appre- ciably increased over a long period of years, while during the same period their
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
50
made for getting all these people into new homes. With regard to the Senior Unofficial Member's remarks about the Beaconsfield Arcade property, I may mention that these flats have been, and are tenanted, by Sanitary Inspectors and other Euro- peans in the Government service. Some of them have been there a considerable time.
Now, coming to the European aspect of the question, I have been directly ap- proached by one family, and in that case found a flat, and I was able to arrange with went over the same afternoon to Kowloon, the landlord next day for them to be put in. Various representations were made relating to persons employed in the Naval Yard. That is an Admiralty affair, and al! I need say is that these men have a house allowance which adequately meets the rent of available flats in Kowloon. I have also been approached regarding two private hotels,-Kingsclere and a private boarding house, consisting of four houses in MacDonnell Road. It is proposed to put 25 houses on the Kingsclere site, and to substitute for two houses of the board- ing house, and one other independent house in MacDonnell Road, eight or ten houses. I am afraid I could do nothing in this case except to propose blocks of flats in Kowloon, and I was met by various objections more or less valid- rather more valid than less. I also sug- gested taking the new hotel in Kowloon on which I had at the time an option, and I now repeat that suggestion. Hon. Mem- bers have no doubt seen an advertisement in the papers that this hotel is to let and I suggest that those having experience of European hotel management might get together and rent this building as Я boarding house for European occupation— by those persons who may be evicted from their present tenaments.
salaries, and consequently their rent- paying capacity, have been considerably augmented, with the result that they are now in a much more favourable position than the neighbours who surround them. The matter came to my attention some time before the Petition reached me. On the very morning on which I first heard of it I got the option of 34 flats at West Point-two-roomed flats of European style. I had not seen them at the time, but I sent the Committee of the tenants to investigate and they reported that they were not suitable, partly on account of the sanitary arrangements and partly ON account of danger from fire, and also because they were in a Chinese locality. I went down personally and looked at them. The rent was $45 for a two- roomed flat, but by putting two fats into one they would get a four-roomed flat for $90. I agreed with the tenants that they were not suitable. At the same time the Belilios Terrace houses, which I also visited, struck me as being in the last stage of decay and literally tumbling to bits. linvited the assistance of Mr. J. M. Alves, who has rendered me very great assistance in this matter, and we went over together to Kowloon and visited blocks containing altogether some 130 new flats, and I also visited the new hotel. When I returned I sent for various landlords, including the landlord of the hotel, and got the option on a number of buildings at rentals varying from $70 to $150, T con- sulted the owners of Belilios Terrace, who met
more than half way, and have been most considerate. I put these flats before the tenants. At the same time I got in touch with Bishop Pozzoni, who put at my disposal ten flats for these tenants in Robinson Road, which will be ready at the end of the With regard to the Senior Hon. nofficial Member's reference to Palermo Buildings the landlord very kindly
But the root of the matter goes deeper reduced the rents from $80 to $50, and 1 than that. It goes right down to the question put this offer to the tenants, but they of European reservations.
I do not propose came to me with a refusal to take the to deal with this somewhat thorny subject, ground floors because they were tiled. I except from the aspect of the economic pres- hope I may not give offence when I say sure which is gradually driving the Europeans that the attitude of some of these tenants out of the districts in which they have lived by no means the majority of them-but for many years. A number of persons have the attitude of some of them is in accord- been persistently crying stinking fish" with Mr. Micawber's maxim of against the Government and some of those waiting for something to turn up,
who have cried loudest have the least rather than in accordance with the more
cause to do so.
It may interest Honour- strenuous proverb that "God helps those able Members to know that a year or two who help themselves." I am satisfied thatago the Government initiated a proposal satisfactory arrangements will eventually be to make a European reservation in A
year.
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me
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