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country, together with some stringency in the money market owing to the war, he obtained permission to defer the last four months' payment, and so only $35,584.00 was received. The revenue from this source for Kowloon was $9,000.00.
STREET WATERING.
Two four-wheeled water carts arrived from England in good condition, and with this accession of strength the street watering was carried on without interruptions, and extended, by the use of a two-wheeled cart, to the following streets not previously watered:- Bonham Strand (East and West), Jervois Street, Cleverly Street, Morrison Street and Mercer Street.
HOUSE CLEANSING.
Even more important than the cleansing of the streets is the cleansing of the dwellings of the poorer classes of Chinese, and this work is now coming to occupy most of the energies of the Department. Tanks of soap and water are provided in the streets for the respective blocks of houses, and notice is served on the inmates that their houses must be cleansed by a certain day, when all floors, rooms and cubicles must be cleared out and they with their furniture ready for inspection: if the house in question is not clean, the cleansing gang take charge of it and cleanse it thoroughly. The District Inspectors then carefully inspect all the house and furniture, and take note of any nuisances or illegalities, which in this way can be systematically dealt with. So useful have these cleansings been found that it is now intended to increase them by an increase in staff from about twice a year to four times.
In addition to the house cleansings done by this Department, all tenement houses were limewashed by their landlords according to law once during the year. There was, however, considerable trouble and delay in getting this work properly done.
EATING-HOUSES.
Particular attention was paid in the last year to the sanitary condition of eating houses and restaurants, in which cleanliness is of the greatest importance. Steps were taken to secure the removal of all ceilings and hollow linings, in which Messrs. Weismann set a good example to the rest, the provision of proper urinals, the cement rendering of the ground surfaces, and the thorough cleansing and limewashing of the whole premises twice a year.
PREVENTION OF DISEASE.
The special measures undertaken for the prevention of Plague, and incidentally much of the general work of the Department is outlined in the Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health, who supervises the work of the District Inspectors and advises as to the policy to be adopted or the steps to be taken for the eradication of disease.