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measures necessary to counteract the wholesale desertion of butchers at the Slaughter-houses and the almost complete stagnation of the Markets for several weeks, the maintenance of the essential Sanitary services called for very long hours of trying labour on the part of the small non-Chinese staff of the Department. The defection of the regular nightsoil coolies was anticipated by selecting a suitable number of stormwater manholes for the reception of excreta, marking these with paint, and notifying the public. By this means there was comparatively little dislocation when the collectors finally deserted. The supervision of this work and the flushing of the sewers in question was in the hands of the European Sanitary Inspectors, who also had the work of seeing to the clearance of dry public latrines. The Hill District nightsoil coolies, who are supplied by the Conservancy Contractor, did not go on strike at any time.
The collection and disposal of refuse was also a formidable problem. Out of 771 scavenging coolies over 600 deserted between the 2nd and 7th of July. At the latter date there were left only 5 out of 64 Bullock drivers, 5 out of 111 Bargemen and no launch engineers. The entire fleet of launches and barges was laid up until 31st July, from which date it was possible gradually to recruit fresh staff and to resume the normal methods of refuse disposal. All Kowloon refuse was meanwhile taken by motor lorries to the Cheungshawan dump. In Hongkong, where a number of bullock and hand-drawn dust-carts still survive, it was necessary to supplement the Department's refuse lorries with motor lorries borrowed from the Public Works Department. Refuse dumps were started on the Praya East Reclamation and at Kennedy Town and the refuse was burnt, covered with chloride of lime or covered with earth as circumstances dictated. On both sides of the harbour the lorries were driven by European volunteer drivers who deserve the gratitude of the community for the efficient manner in which they worked for very long hours daily at this nauseating task.
All the normal work of the Department was of course temporarily dislocated and it was not until 15th August that the routine of house-cleansing etc. could be resumed.
31st March, 1926.
N. L. SMITH,
Head of the Sanitary Department.