C. S.
M.F. 237.)
Flight of Mosquitoes.
All the privately owned land within a radius of half a mile from the lines had been resumed in order that there may be full control over this area. In Malaya it was found that half a mile was beyond the normal flight of anophelines from their breeding places. It is hoped that the same. applies in Hongkong.
The Resident Medical Staff, all. of whom are paid from Loan Ac- count, include one Chinese Medical Officer, two Dressers and a gang of coolies. Two Anti-Malarial Inspectors who are in training at the Malaria Bureau and will short- ly join the Resident Staff.
A small mosquito proof hospital of fourteen beds has been erected and in a few days time will be equipped and ready for occupation. A microscope has been provided. Mosquito-proof quarters for the Medical Officer and for the Dressers have been completed.
Pending the completion of the hospital it was arranged that the travelling dispensary "should visit three times a week and that a stock of drugs and dressing should be kept near the lines.
The Malariologist
supervises
the investigative and preventive side of the medical activities and the Medical Officer New Territories the curative work. Both officers visit bi-weekly.
from
Anti-malaria Inspectors the Malaria Bureau visit frequent- ly for the purposes of collecting mosquitoes and their larvae. Specimens caught are conveyed to the Bureau for identification and dissection. During this year 25,- 000 anophelines caught in the lines have been identified and dis- sected. The infection rate varied from nil to 20% according to the species and the season.
The Sick Rate.
The lines are visited daily and any sick found there are examined and treated. A statement of vital statistics is sent daily to medical headquarters and records are being kept.
The daily sick rate among the labourers so far as can be ascer- tained from a shifting population, is about 54 off duty owing sickness.
to
From time to time blood tests have been made to ascertain the parasite rates of the various sections of the labour force. It has been found that a varying percentage of those engaged are already carrying the parasite when they take up residence.
The malaria situation at Shing Mun is a very difficult one to con- trol owing to topographical and geological factors, the range of flight of malaria-carrying anophe- lines and the constantly shifting population.
The prophylactic measures taken so far have been those
(10)
directed against mosquitoes and their breeding places. The methods employed are oiling and paris green application by the Medical Staff, and clearing and drainage and mosquito proofing of lines by the engineering staff.
It is estimated that twelve miles of water channel are being oiled weekly, the amount of oil expended being 250 gallons. Certain areas are being treated with paris green diluted with dust.
The oiling gang consists of ten men under the supervision of a dresser.
Clearing and Draining.
With regard to clearing and draining, the following data have been supplied by the drainage engineer..
Area dried by drainage opera- tions 18 acres.
Length of subsoil piping 12,763 yards.
Length of open concrete chan- nels 8,870 yards.
Clearing preparatory to oiling channels 8 miles.
Number of labour force em- ployed in clearing and draining 200.
Mosquito nets were supplied to the coolies, but, the infection rate remaining high among the mosquitoes found in the lines, it was decided to try and mosquito proof the lines themselves by providing wire screens for win- dows and doors. Work is in pro- gress in this direction.
Drug prophylaxis has not been attempted owing to opposition on the part of the labourers and the difficulty of checking in- dividuals under the contract system.
There is every reason to believe however that the activities of the medical staff and the engineering staff working in full co-operation will render the area salubrious and maintain a good state health in the labour engaged.
COLONIAL SECRETARY.
The Rising Cost Of Government.
HARBOUR DREDGING.
of
Secretary
The Hon. Colonial said:
Sir:-I propose to take the criticisms of honourable members, in so far as they have not already been met, in the order in which they were presented.
The first item in the speech of the Honourable the Senior Un- official member that falls to me is the staff of the Legal departments. I say again that even without the late Mr. Agassiz, whose death we all so deeply deplore, there should be sufficient legal officers in the Colóny next year to keep all the
43
departments fully manned, and I now add that we propose to re- cruit a new officer in Mr. Agassiz's place, which will give a surplus. In addition it must be remembered that there are a number of Cadet Officers with legal qualifications who can from time to time spared to assist the regular Legal Staff. One is doing so now. As regards future retirements Govern- ment cannot agree that it is necessary to recruit new officers a year in advance.
be
Apart from the reflection which this seems to cast on the compet- ence of the experienced staff who will be left behind and can supply local knowledge, the idea that new officers must have a year's trial run is a costly novelty which the Colonial Office is hardly likely to accept. I am aware that this is the course adopted in the case of Cadet Officers, but there are special reasons in that a Cadet recruit must devote his whole time for two years to acquiring the requisite knowledge of Chin- ese. As for periodic shortages of staff and overtime, these fall to the lot of every senior Govern- ment servant, Acting Colonial Secretaries included. To have kept the Secretariat fully manned in the face of all the casualties which have afflicted it during the last four months, three spare Cadet officers would have been required.
The question of a more suitable nomenclature for our Police Stat- ions will receive the consideration of the Inspector General.
Shing Mun Dam.
As regards the completion of the Shing Mun Dam, the Resident Engineer still hopes to complete the work in the time originally set, but in any case the delay and the subsequent change of site were due to the very unexpected defects in the subsoil revealed by and the preliminary drillings were unavoidable. The Resident Engineer also hopes to be able to achieve some storage towards the end of 1935, but here again the stability of the dam whole must take priority. I may add that the new siting of the dam is expected to increase the total storage by two hundred and fifty million gallons.
as
a
our
Harbour Dredging. I now come to the points raised by the Honourable Mr. Mackie. The position regarding dredging scheme has been dealt with by my Honourable friend the
Director of Public Works. I should say first that Government has been advised that plant of the necessary type is not available in the Far East and therefore cannot be expected to arrive here from Europe until the period of the north-east monsoons is over. Secondly it is the intention of the Government to invite tenders both locally and at Home, and the specifications and details with