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Enclosure 1 in No. 30.
MEMORANDUM.
A Proposal to Check the Spread of Venereal Disease, by Tan Jiak Kim.
His Excellency the Governor having been pleased to ask my views as to the best means of checking the spread of venereal disease in this Colony, I have the honour to submit the following:-
―
After careful consultation with those of my friends who are capable of forming an opinion on the subject, I have finally come to the conclusion that since the Government will not control or in any way recognise prostitution, it appears to me, then, there are no practical means of preventing the spread of the disease except those embodied in the scheme of Mr. G. T. Hare, as communicated to us by His Excellency the Governor at the interview on the 30th January.
In order to avoid the opposition of the people at home against the carrying out of the scheme, the officer responsible for the sanitation of the town should be directed, under the Municipal Sanitary Ordinance, to treat all brothels not possessing properly qualified medical certificate of health as a place dangerous to the public health.
Under this arrangement no new enactment would, I presume, be necessary, as the whole scheme would be carried out under the present Municipal Ordinance, and in this manner no one could represent to the people at home that there was any desire on the part of our local authorities to recognise prostitution in any shape or colour.
All brothel keepers should pay their own medical fees, and those whose houses were ordered to be closed for the third time should be made liable to banishment from this Colony on the representation of the Municipal Health Officer that such keepers were a danger to the public welfare of this Settlement.
With regard to the suggestion that prostitutes becoming unfit to receive visitors should be removed to a separate house, I am of opinion that it would be wise to leave this question to the discretion of the Municipal Health Officer.
In jotting down the above idea, it has been my endeavour to base all my suggestions on the line of policy now in force in Cyprus, where, I am told, public prostitution is being dealt with by the Municipality of the town free from the interference of the Home people, and it is to be hoped that we may succeed in doing the same, so as to check the propagation of the present evil under which this Colony is suffering.
Singapore, February 8, 1899.
T. JIAK KIM.
2. Who is to approve of the appoint- ment of doctor?
3. How is it to make the brothel to the medical men?
4. How the brothel keeper to punish in breaking to law?
5. How to prevent if they change houses or occupation?
6. How is police assistance to be in- volved?
7. How can the Government ap- proach to banish the brothel keeper?
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2. The Municipal Health Officer is to approve of the appointment of the doctors to be engaged in treating brothels suffering from venereal disease.
3. By framing bye-laws, to be sanctioned by His Excellency the Governor, that all brothels suffering from venereal disease are to be subject to the treatment of the doctors. 4. The house where the brothels occupy is to be closed by the police authorities at the request of the Municipal Health Officer on sufficient grounds shown by him.
6.
5. As there will be doctors specially en- gaged to treat brothels suffering from venereal disease, who should send weekly report to the Municipal Health Officer, the changing of any houses could be known.
As the police have power to prevent persons going in and out of a house where someone therein is suffering from contagious disease, a similar power may be exercised by the police to close a brothel house where one is suffering from venereal disease who re- fused to be subject to the treatment of the doctor so approved.
7. If a brothel is suffering from venereal disease and is subject to be treated by doc- tor, and refused to be so treated, on a re- port being made by the doctor to the Muni- cipal Health Officer that it would be dan- gerous to the public health or welfare, the brothel keeper is to be called upon for an explanation of such refusal to the C.P.O., who is to send such explanation so given to His Excellency, and it is for His Excellency to decide that if such explanation is not satisfactorily given by the brothel keeper, to banish the brothel keeper.
Enclosure 2 in No. 30.
PUBLIC
RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
LITIC.O. 882
nimm
6 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
| ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
His Excellency the Governor,
SIR,
Sir Charles Bullen Hugh Mitchell, G.C.M.G.
Singapore, February 14, 1899. WITH reference to the interview on the 30th ultimo, Your Excellency expressed that the Secretary of State did not approve of Contagious Diseases Ordinances, and desire to consider a scheme to avoid the spreading of contagious venereal disease that a remedy be framed to check it.
Looking at the report from the gaol, showing about 50 per cent. of the prisoners are suffering from such diseases, and considering such ground, a special bye-law be given to the Municipal Health Officer, empower him to deal with the same, similar to the power given as contagious disease, I presume the answers given in next page to the questions of Your Excellency almost satisfy the requirements of the Colony. However, if a similar scheme is given to the Municipal Health Officer as Contagious Diseases Officer for temporary (say, one or two years), I think it might be very well to meet the
purpose.
1. How the knowledge of venereal disease is to be obtained?
I have, &c.,
S. LIANG SEAH.
1. From the report of the doctors who were approved by the Municipal Health Officer as competent to treat brothels suffer- ing from venereal disease.
Enclosure 3 in No. 30.
MEMORANDUM.
By Gan Eng Seng, Singapore, regarding the Contagious Diseases (Women's) Question.
His Excellency the Governor, Sir Charles B. H. Mitchell, having, I understand, desired the views and suggestions of some members of the Chinese Advisory Board of Singapore upon this question, I beg respectfully, and in brief form, to submit my views and suggestions thereon:-
1. I am of strong belief that the repeal of the Contagious Diseases (Women's) Ordinance has brought about a great and very alarming increase and distribution of disease.
2. And I believe that, unless effectual check or remedy be introduced, this evil which has already grown widely in extent, must spread itself still more, and as now allowed to go on cannot fail to produce results in the future still more calamitous to the community.
3. I believe that what is absolutely necessary to check the spread of disease and to improve the position for the future is compulsion, in some form or another, applied either directly or indirectly. Anyone who enquires closely into this matter will know that the brothel keepers are such scoundrels that any course or system of check or remedy which, besides being for the good health of the women in their establishments, and of the men whom these serve, would at same time bring the women more readily within
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