32. Tung Wah Infectious Diseases Hospital.- Situated in Kennedy Town and adjacent to the Government Infectious Diseases Hospital is the Tung Wah Infectious Diseases Hospital, an institution containing 30 beds where 60 patients could be accommodated at a pinch. The treatment here is left almost entirely to the herbalists.
During the year there were 7 patients, as compared with 47 in the preceding year.
TREATMENT OF OPIUM ADDICTS.
At the Government Civil Hospital and Tung Wah Eastern Hospital six and twelve beds (respectively) are reserved for the treatment of opium addicts, the Government being responsible for the expenses incurred. 37 cases were treated at the former institution and 441 at the latter, making a total of 478 cases.
Chapter V.
HOUSING.
In recent years some evidence has been shown amongst the artizan class of the Colony of a quickening social consciousness and the resultant desire to avail themselves of improved housing accommodation wherever such is made available. The unskilled labouring classes, however, are still found densely packed in tenement houses deficient in light and air. This class of labour has to find its habitat as close as possible to the scene of its labour, with the result that the Western part of the City of Victoria, which houses the native business quarter and closely adjoins the portion of the harbour handling the traffic from the West River and Chinese Coast Ports, is seriously overcrowded.
2. These conditions are being slowly mitigated by the rebuilding of properties which from time to time are condemned for reasons of structural defects. This process of elimination is, however, too slow to create any appreciable improvement. The legislation mentioned in paragraph 8, which calls for the provision of reasonable yard space, when made operative, will hasten the removal or reconstruction of much of the old property. This, whilst providing improved housing conditions, will no doubt mean increased cost of living to the labouring classes.
3. Hitherto, the hostility of the property-owning class to the introduction of legislation requiring additional open space and thereby reducing the earning power of the property has been the chief obstacle in obtaining improved conditions. It can, however,
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32. Tung Wah Infectious Diseases Hospital.- Situated in Kennedy Town and adjacent to the Government Infectious Diseases Hospital is the Tung Wah Infectious Diseases Hospital, an institution containing 30 beds where 60 patients could be accommodated at a pinch. The treatment here is left almost entirely to the herbalists.
During the year there were 7 patients, as compared with 47 in the preceding year.
TREATMENT OF OPIUM ADDICTS.
At the Government Civil Hospital and Tung Wah Eastern Hospital six and twelve beds (respectively) are reserved for the treatment of opium addicts, the Government being responsible for the expenses incurred. 37 cases were treated at the former institution and 441 at the latter, making a total of 478 cases.
Chapter V.
HOUSING.
In recent years some evidence has been shown amongst the artizan class of the Colony of a quickening social consciousness and the resultant desire to avail themselves of improved housing accommodation wherever such is made available. The unskilled labouring classes, however, are still found densely packed in tenement houses deficient in light and air. This class of labour has to find its habitat as close as possible to the scene of its labour, with the result that the Western part of the City of Victoria, which houses the native business quarter and closely adjoins the portion of the harbour handling the traffic from the West River and Chinese Coast Ports, is seriously overcrowded.
2. These conditions are being slowly mitigated by the rebuilding of properties which from time to time are condemned. for reasons of structural defects. This process of elimination is however, too slow to create any
any appreciable improvement. The legislation mentioned in paragraph 8, which calls for the provision of reasonable yard space, when made operative, will hasten the removal or reconstruction of much of the old property. This, whilst providing improved housing conditions, will no doubt mean increased cost of living to the labouring classes.
3. Hitherto, the hostility of the property-owning class to the introduction of legislation requiring additional open space and thereby reducing the earning power of the property has been the chief obstacle in obtaining improved conditions. It can, however,
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