M 33
There is a Sanitary Board composed of Officials and non-Officials, whose powers and responsibilities are laid down in the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance, which acts as an adviser to the H.S.D. and of which the H.S.D. is the Chairman. This body has no direct control over the Sanitary Staff.
The functions and control of the Sanitary Board and Sanitary Department as determined by the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance are limited to:-
(a) the Island of Hong Kong, (b) the Peninsula of Kowloon, and (c) that portion of the New Territories which is adjacent to Kowloon and which is known as New Kowloon.
The Director of Medical and Sanitary Services, who is adviser to Government on all medical and sanitary matters, confers with the H.S.D. but has no status under the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance and no authority over any of the staff of the Sanitary Department.
The following general review of work done and progress made in matters of sanitation is—so far as the Sanitary Department is concerned—based on facts supplied by the Medical Officer of Health. The Annual Report of the Sanitary Department is issued independently by the Head of the Sanitary Department.
# SANITARY ADMINISTRATION
For purposes of sanitary administration by the Sanitary Department, the Island and the Peninsula have been divided into local sanitary areas, each with a sanitary office, and these in turn have been sub-divided into Health Districts each in charge of a Sanitary Inspector.
The built-over portions of Hong Kong constitute only about 1/30th of the total area. On the North side is the City of Victoria which occupies the flats and lower slopes facing the harbour. Behind and above the City is the Residential area of the Hill District extending up to and including the crest called "the Peak". The great mass of the population (500,000), which reside in the City, are crowded into an area which does not exceed 400 acres in extent. On the South side and near the sea level are the villages of Aberdeen, Ap Lei Chau, Stanley, and Tai Tam. The remainder of the Island consists of steep slopes with few or no habitations.
The Peninsula of Kowloon may be described topographically as consisting of a central group of hills surrounded on three sides by flats which intervene between them and the sea coast. The bulk of the population (250,000) live in tenement houses on the flats. New Kowloon is an extension northwards of the flats on the western side.