HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
6. The boiling of water supplied from the taps though it may be considered desirable is not essential. Unless boiling and filtering are properly supervised they are likely to become source of danger rather than a protection.
a
7. Chlorine solution is added to the
water in definite quantities.
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make another monetary grant, as it did so generously in the case of the Swatow typhoon disaster two years ago. I am sure that I am voicing the feeling of honourable members when I say that we deeply sympathise with our neighbours in the great calamity that has befallen them.
HON. MR. HOLYOAK-I rise to second
Water tasting of chlorine is harm- the motion proposed by my hon. friend. less for drinking purposes.
The Floods in Kwangtung
H.E. THE GOVERNOR--The hon, mem- ber Mr. Kotewall has my permission to bring forward a financial motion.
HON. MR. KOTEWALL-Sir, I beg respect- fully to move the following resolution:
"That this Council approves of the grant of the sum of Fifty thousand Dollars for the relief of the distress caused by the recent floods in the Pro- vince of Kwangtung."
In submitting this resolution I need scarcely dwell upon the widespread dis- tress caused by the disastrous floods. Re- presentatives of the Tung Wah Hospital and the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, who were sent up to Canton to make enquiries, have reported that owing to the great difficulties in obtain- ing supplies of food from the more fortu- nate parts of the Province, the conditions of the sufferers are worse than those in the disaster of 1914. The Hospital and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce at once took steps to raise a public sub- scription, and they have made satisfactory arrangements with the Merchants' Valun- teers' Association of Canton for the con- veyance and proper distribution of food. So far, $21,000 has been received from the Chinese abroad, and about $90,000 raised locally. A sum of $20,000 has been remitted, and 3,500 bags of rice have been sent to the Merchants' Volunteers' Association in Canton, and more food is being sent up. Large as is the amount which the Tung Wah Hospital and other public institutions have been able to raise, it is far short of what is needed, and I venture to express the earnest hope that should we unfortunately find that further assistance is needed from Hong- kong, this honourable Council will readily
HON. MR. CHAU SIU-KI-I beg, sir, to support the motion and to endorse the remarks made by my hon. colleague.
H.E. THE GOVERNOR-I have no hesitation in accepting this motion, but in accordance with custom it is neces- sary to ask the approval of the Secretary of State to a grant of money outside the Colony. I shall have no hesitation in recommending the Secretary of State, if this Councial approves, that we make this grant of a sum of $50,000 on
the un- standing that if this amount is insuffi- cient it will be open to this Council to make a further grant.
The motion was agreed to.
Libels on the Colony Resented
X
HON. MR. HOLYOAK in accordance with notice previously given moved the following resolution:-
"That the following resolution be for warded to the Secretary of State: -
That having regard to the announce- ment by the Press that an Advisory Body' has been appointed by the Secre- tary of State for the Colonies to advise and enquire into the 'Maisons tolérées and Social Hygiene in Hongkong amongst other places, the Unofficial Members of this Council welcome any enquiry which has the object of im- proving the conditions of life in and upholding the good name of the British Empire and Colonial Possessions, but resent the fact that the inclusion of Hongkong in this enquiry should have resulted from malicious, misleading and exaggerated representations to the Government which have been widely circulated in England for some time
past."