CO882-(3-4) — Page 496

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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C.O. 882

4

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

The public latrines should he acquired by Government

and remodelled.

Great want of urinals.

importance of clean streets. Examples of ('ndiz

Separation of Aweeping from

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where so great a majority of the people are working men, they are especially valuable, giving a ready means of dealing with the excreta of so large a section of the community.

262. The existing public latrines should be acquired by Government, and after complete reconstruction, they should be thrown open to the public gratis. Their number also should be largely increased so that they will no longer be so crowded as to impede the operation requisite for cleanliness. The latrines having become the property of Government, dry-earth or any other improved system might be tried in them. In the Appendix I give sketches of latrines on the Canton plan, also an improvement on the present plan, and a water latrine on a plan which I found to act admirably in India. Of the first two, I prefer the Canton plan, for I found those which I visited in very good The chief order, and it effects the most complete separation of solid and liquid excreta.* object which I have had in view in designing them has been the abolition of all wood or other absorbent material and of all sharp or hidden coiners which cannot be cleaned At present there is not a single place of the 263. Urinals also are greatly needed. sort to which an unfortunate seaman can resort on landing. Indeed there is not one in the whole city.

out.

264. The importance of clean street surfaces is always great, but especially so in cities having narrow streets which prevent free access of air and sunlight. In the old Spanish cities, as in those of China, the streets are very narrow, for protection against the sun; formerly they were scourged by periodical epidemics, but of late years, in Cadiz at least, these have been banished mainly by perfect paving of streets and courts, and by most careful sweeping and scavenging. The desirability of hard road surface has already been pointed out (paragraph 196).

265. By the dissociation of the sweeping from the scavenging contract, much greater night-soil con attention may be given to the former, and the sweeping of streets as well as courts and

alleys may be done more frequently and thoroughly.

tract, facilitates former.

Certain private

Janes should

be awept by

Government.

ant of pro- vision for re-

266. It seems desirable also that the sweeping of those private lanes and alleys which are practically used as thoroughfares should be performed by the public scavengers.

267. The chief want is, however, increased facilities for getting rid of ashes, house sweepings, and rubbish. At present the cook or house coolie, has either to convey them moral of house to the rubbish boats, which are only accessible from 5 to 8 a.m., or be must carry them sweepings.

to one of the monumental-looking dustbins which are few and far between. This is more than can be reasonably expected of him, and consequently there is the strongest temptation to get rid of the rubbish by stuffing it down drains, greatly to their detriment.

Movable dust. bins to be provided.

Kiln for burn-

ing rubbish.

Obstruction

to sweeping caused by hawkers and peditru.

Improved

market accom- modation.

268. It is therefore desirable that the inhabitants should provide dust boxes of some standard pattern, one for each floor, which should be put out at certain hours, so that their contents could be removed by the public scavenger. I have authority for saying that this would be a great boon to the poor.

269. It would be desirable to construct a kiln at Lap-sap-wan, to consume the rubbish brought from the town. At present it is thrown on to the beach, and the lighter substances float away at high water, and are carried all about the harbour, which is very unsightly, to say the least. The ashes produced in the kiln might possibly be sold.

270. Hawkers and pedlers have been permitted to place their stalls on the side- channels, to an extent that is most objectionable, diminishing the already limited road space and preventing the proper sweeping of the side-channels. Frequently such obstructions are caused by vendors of cooked meat, who make a great mess with the slops from their vessels. The owners of the adjacent houses obtain rent from these people who occupy public property. My attention has been frequently called to this nuisance by Chinese.

271. The present market accommodation is lamentably deficient both in amount and quality. Indeed the hawker nuisance just mentioned, is principally due to the want of market space, where they can expose their wares. The central market is, I understand, wholly occupied by stalls let to regular dealers. There is no room for the peasant who brings in a boatload of vegetables. In the central market too much space is occupied by the massive masonry stalls and pillars which prevent proper cleansing. The whole should be taken down and replaced by a double iron roof supported on iron pillars. Proper benches also are required on which to place goods for sale. The floor should be asphalted, not paved, for granite blocks, unless so smooth as to be slippery, cannot be properly cleaned. Above all, the people should no longer be allowed to sleep on the stalls and benches in the market.

• The Canton plan requires continued attention and manipulation in order to maintain cleanliness. It may prove impossible to do this in the more frequented latrines.

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272. Public bathhouses ere much wanted for the use of the Chinese labourers. It is Public bathing- the custom of these people to sponge themselves over with warm water daily after their places. work is done. Elaborate baths are not required, only places where hot water can be obtained.

273. The washing of clothes, chiefly those of Europeans, in the mountain streams is Public laundry the cause of considerable nuisance. The soapsuds putrefy in the pools of the river, and emit a most offensive smell. This has been a most fruitful source of correspondence between the civil and military authorities. The provision of a public laundry with a drying ground, so as to do away with the necessity of washing in the streams, would prevent this nuisance, be a convenience to the washermen, and effect a great saving in the linen of Europeans, by obviating the necessity for thrashing them on the rocks, and tearing them on bushes.

PART II.

SECTION 7. SANITARY STAFF.

Condition of

classes un- antisfactory.

274. I trust that I have shown that the dwellings of the Chinese working classes are wellings of inconvenient, filthy, and unwholesome. Accumulations of filth occur in and around Chinese lower them, both above ground, and below ground, in the drains, especially in the latter.

275. In Hong Kong, the Chinese live under strange conditions, which are certainly Chinese in not superior to those of their own country, and, in the matter of space, at least decidedly Hong Kong inferior. Above all the water supply is miserable. It is unjust to condemn them as a under different hopelessly filthy race till they bave been provided with reasonable means for cleanliness. conditions to I conceive that it is the duty of the Government to see that these means are provided obtain in and applied. Hence there is the strongest necessity for inspection and supervision, China.

Necessity for especially whilst new conditions are being introduced.

are living

those which

inspection.

oppressive or

of Europeans

276. It is, of course, necessary that every care should be taken to prevent such The inspection inspection from being inquisitorial or vexatious, and to prevent abuse of power, and the must not be regulations should be so framed as to be, as far as possible, in accordance with the social vexatious.

After consultation and domestic habits of the people for whose benefit they are framed. with the Chinese, I believe that all this can be done without serious difficulty.

277. Some of the leading Chinese stated that the entrance of officials, more particu- The objection larly foreigners, into their dwellings was most disagreeable and terrifying, especially to to the entrance women. I must say that in all my visits of inspection I never saw signs of either terror into their or disgust on the part of the inmates, or met with incivility. My Chinese informants houses is not were men of the upper classes, To them any intrusion, especially into the women's supposed, apartments, would be as disagreeable as unnecessary. With regard to the lower classes, among the those with whom most has to be done, I am convinced that this feeling is exaggerated, at least. and I am sure that all that is necessary, can be done without causing any serious ill feeling.

nearly as great

lower classeS

278. The existing sanitary staff is composed of one head, and three sub-inspectors of Composition of nuisances, who act under the joint orders of the Colonial Surgeon and Surveyor General. existing staff. (I do not include those employed in other sanitary departments, such as the application of the Contagious Diseases Act.)

veyor General

suncient

279. Now it is obviously impossible that either of these officers can, compatibly with Colonial Sur- their other numerous duties, exercise the close supervision over their subordinates which on and our is desirable, indeed necessary. The present inspectors are recruited from the same cannot person source as the police sergeants. It is always impolitic to place men of this class in close circa contact with Asiatics, who rarely respect them. Low paid, they have every temptation supervision. to abuse their power; ignorant of the language, they must work through interpreters, whereby endless complications are sure to arise. In saying this, I wish to cast no imputation on the present staff, but merely to express a general principle.

necesary.

280. It is therefore evident that the direct and close supervision of a special Sanitary Special Officer is required, who will devote his whole time to this service. He need not be a Banitary Officer medical man or trained engineer; indeed, I do not think that any reasonable salary would tempt a competent medical man to take such a place, if deprived of private practice, which would be quite incompatible with the proper discharge of his public duties. The Sanitary Officer must be of a social position entitling him to a place on the regular Colonial staff, and he must receive an adequate salary, at least 4001. to 5001, a year.

281. He would personally, and through his staff, supervise the workings of the regu- Daties of Bani- lations for scavenging and night-soil collection, and would be responsible for the due ryer. "pplication of all sanitary Ordinances, and of the byelaws and instructions furnished to the Surveyo him from time to time by the Surveyor General and Colonial Surgeon, to whom he General and

R 8797.

F

his relation to

Colonial Bur geon.