CO882-(3-4) — Page 491

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

3

Reference :-

C.O. 882

4PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

Application

of sanitary

rules to new

and existing houses.

Improvements

to existing houses.

Sanitary authority to

30 ་

177. The application of any sanitary regulations that may be decided on to new or reconstructed houses will be easy, and may be effected without serious difficulty or hard- ship to the owners of property.

If all were done that 178. The improvement of existing houses is far more difficult.

To force is desirable, the work would amount almost to complete reconstruction. landlords to expend large sums to remedy defects in design which were actually sanctioned when the plans were submitted to the Government officers for approval according to law, would be a great hardship. Still some of the more glaring defects must be remedied at once.

179. I would suggest that sanitary regulations should be published, and that the issue orders for sanitary staff, the constitution of which will presently be described, should be empowered improvements to order owners of property to make necessary alterations, such as the provision of additional window-space, the removal of obstructions from alleys and lanes, the pave. ment of these and the floors of houses, the improvement of drains, and that a law should be made by which the execution of these orders could be enforced by suitable penalties.

Improvement fund.

Reconstruction of houses not capable of

180. To effect larger improvements, which would involve the expenditure of a serious proportion of the year's rent, especially when it is a question of remedying defects in original construction, rather than those arising from neglect or misusage, the Government should, on the recommendation of the sanitary authority, carry out the necessary works themselves, paying for the work out of an improvement fund, set aside for the purpose, and recovering the expenditure by means of a rate on the property, repaying both The principal and interest in, say, 30 years, at the end of which time it would cease. work would be well and cheaply done, and the annual cost to the landlord would be insignificant. It is understood that the Government of Hong Kong have certain funds derived from the licenses of gambling houses, the expenditure of which is reserved for is a charitable charitable purposes. Surely the improvement of the dwellings of the undertaking?

poor

181. In the case of some of the worst houses which are not capable of improvement, the best plan would be for the Government to purchase them, for which the law improvement provides, and re-build and then sell them. With good management, the ultimate cost to the Colonial Treasury would be small, for additional accommodation might be given in the new houses, thereby increasing the selling value.

Model dwellings.

Roads and drains should be prepared

before offering

building lots

for sale.

House drainage.

House drains should be constructed by Cloverument.

Payment for

houses.

182. To demonstrate the advantages which inay be derived from good construction, and to show that they may be secured without any considerable additional cost, it will be well to construct some model dwellings.

183. Before offering new building lots for sale, it is most desirable that the roads should be laid out and graded, and the drains constructed. By this, much trouble will be saved. For instance, on the east of the town the level of certain vacant building lots is so low, that if houses are built according to the existing level of the ground, there will be considerable difficulty in draining them. If the houses are erected first, the streets and drains must be made to suit the houses. If, on the other hand, the streets and drains are made first, with proper levels and gradients, the houses will naturally be built to these levels, and they can then be drained with ease.

184. I have left the consideration of one of the most important improvements to the This is so universally and emergently last, namely, the re-drainage of the houses. required that it should be undertaken at once, and special means will be required to effect it.

185. The importance of the house drains and the danger incurred by neglect in their construction bave been already pointed out. England, with workmen to some extent familiar with the work, it has been found next to impossible to secure proper design and execution by leaving the work to private builders, no matter how complete be the regulations drawn up for their guidance.

The necessity for complete and accurate work is not recognised, much is badly done and has to be taken up again. The cost also is vastly greater than if the work be carried out on a large scale, by a central authority, who can, if desirable, employ competent and responsible contractors. The remarks as to the distribution of charges which have just been made as to general house improvements, apply equally to their drainage, but a still more simple solution of the question may be found.

186. Inasmuch as every house (with few exceptions) requires re-draining, and the re-drainage of beneficiaries by this operation are not the landlord, not even the occupant of the individual house alone, but the general public, who enjoy the improvement to the sanitary condition of the City therefrom resulting, it seems equitable therefore, as well as expedient, to pay for this work out of general funds. All additional cost of house accommodation must

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ultimately be paid for by the people, indirectly by increase of the house rent, or directly by increased taxation. In this case the direct method seems preferable, for it secures the prompt and efficient remedy of a great defect. If the current revenue be inadequate to provide the sums that can be annually spent with economy, then a loan will be required, to be repaid out. of the general revenue. This will be most equitable, for it will relieve the present population of some of the expense by transferring some part of it to their successors, who will, it is hoped, be also bencñted by the work done.

against inter-

187. In any case a sufficient fund should be provided for carrying out each year's Provision allotted task without risk of interruption on account of the low state of the Treasury, ruption of produced either by the revenue being less than estimated or by some unforeseen work. expenditure. The money should be provided for the work and reserved for it alone.

188. In my connexion with India and the Colonies, I have had but too frequent Evils arising experiences of the evils resulting from the neglect of this precaution. Works are on sanctioned and arrangements made for executing them with expedition; something happens to the revenue and orders are received to stop. Workmen are dispersed, plant lies idle, materials are lost and deteriorate. Meanwhile no benefit is derived from the incomplete work.

from interrop-

house drainage.

189. The general principles on which house drains should be constructed have alreadly Details of been laid down. The manner of applying these principles varies so much with the different forms of houses that no general plan can be prepared. In the Appendix plans are given showing the proposed methods of draining several typical forms of houses, and a copy of the regulations for house drains laid down in the Model Byelaws, already referred to, is also given, as a detailed explanation of the general rules.

which the plans are designed.

190. The primary object of the drainage plans is the removal of slopwater, they are The objects for also fitted for conveying away that portion of human excrement that, as will presently be shown, must almost infallibly find its way into them, and when an adequate water supply is forthcoming, and proper provisions have been made for the reception of their affluent, they will be capable of carrying the whole excreta, if that prove desirable. No single plan will be applicable to the varied conditions and forms of houses to be met with. The plans are intended to show the varied methods by which the requirements of proper drainage may be met with under different circumstances.

191. As to material and size, I would recommend glazed earthenware pipes for house drains, as being on the whole the cheapest and most effective material. Having visited the potteries at Shek-Wan, I am prepared to state, that with a little trouble, the pipes can be obtained thence, probably at a cheaper rate than from England. For the drainage of one or more houses, a diameter of 4 inches, with a slope of I in 30, is found in practice amply sufficient. This fall gives an adequate velocity to prevent deposit of silt, and by making the inlet of smaller diameter than the pipe, any object which can enter will pass through it. Experience shows that obstructions from such causes as pieces of rag, &c. do not take place in the straight part of the pipe, but at the bends and syphons. Referring to the plans given in the Appendix, it will be seen that special facilities for obtaining access at these points is provided, and from them also a rod may be pushed through the straight intervening lengths.

facilities for

vent obstruc-

192. By these precautions, and by providing increased facilities for getting rid of dry Increased rubbish and vegetable refuse from the house, any serious danger of obstruction will be disposal of rub- removed. The want of proper conveniences for disposing of house sweepings is the bish will pre- cause of many of the numerous obstructions of the house drain which now takes place. tion of drain.

193. The usual argument in favour of house drains of large diameter is, "make it Increasing six large enough, so that it will not choke." A badly made drain, in which deposit takes of drains does place, will choke up sooner or later whatever its size, the large drain on the whole more liability to rapidly than one of moderate dimensions, for in it the flow, being diffused over a greater surface, is more sluggish. Abundant instances are on record where nature has corrected the work of the builder. The large drain has gradually filled up with deposit till its sectional area is reduced to the exact size requisite to convey the streain passing through it.

PART II.

SECTION 3.

STREET FORMATION, SIDE CHAnnels, &c.

On this subject I have few remarks to make.

not diminish

obstruction.

194. The concrete as used seems a very suitable road material where there is no Comente rond wheel traffic. Its chief fault is that it is rather slippery on steep inclines.

D 4

u'vrínos suitab'e

or streets.