1923-03-20 — Page 4

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the problem. But he dropped the parallel when he suggested that the revenue foregone from houses should be recovered from land values, Tor then he must have said that the revenue foregone from tea

the

THE CHINA MAIL.

HOMES FOR THE PEOPLE.

HONGKONG'S HOUSING PROBLEM,

YESTERDAY'S PUBLIC MEETING.

Commission Suggested:

That Hongkong is beginning at last to develop something of i

was no

סת

TUESD Y MARCH 201928

The Real Difficulty.

terested,' If the military were "Some of us were taught to pray moved to other sites away from the Give us this day our daily bread, centre of Victoria and Kowloon, and now we want to add to that the public not only had the advant-

and also habitations fit for human

beings to live in. If our prayers are of having sites at their disposal were heard and the Lord Bent halfa for building on, but land actially million houses down to Hongkong, ready for building. What they. so that you could select just what wanted was land avaliable for sort of house you liked, do you building, and that they would get think," Mr. McGuigan asked," that if the military removed. With the housing problem would be regard to the housing of the 'work- solved? Not a bit of it. The first

houses. You are destroying human lives. A great many lives have been lost already and we do not

Rents Ordinance Praised. He certainly agreed with Mr. want any more lives lost in future. Lo, Mr. Bailey and Mr. McGuigan Now stop this taxation of houses." that it was important to consider So long as the land system and the the housing question from the point

Rent Restriction.

munications. Mr. Alabaster was After the resolution had been

ideas.

ed..

say less than judicious, if yester community spirit was demonstrated again yesterday afternoon at the difficulty would be that you would classes, the Chairman thought have to get places to put the houses it possible that the Housing Com- day's meeting had not expressed well-attended public meeting in the City Hall called folatly by the in. With a half million houses and mission would recommend to the, Government a scheme for pulting its sentiments hercanent in the Constitutional Reform Association and the Kowloon Residents' all looking for sites, don't you up houses by the Government near Strongest terms. Naturally every Association to discuss the housing problem. Resolutions dealing with think the price of land would places where the men were en

go up just in proportion,ployed. As to the rebuilding of one agrees with Mr. McGuigan's various aspects of the question were moved and carried practically and you would have to pay old houses, Mr. Pollock thought desire to make houses cheaper and unanimously. The Hon. Mr. H. E. Follock KC., presided and was just as much for land then as they must recognise that a good for houses and land now." Mr. many houses in the City of Victoria more plentiful. That, after all, supported by the committeemen of the two associations,

McGuigan considered that the real were some 50 or 60 years old, and was the sole object of yesterday's

The first resolution was moved to be considered by the Com- difficulty of the housing problem the time had arrived when it was meeting. But not everyone agrees by Mr. C. G. Alabaster K.CH mission, as well as buses. It must was not the building of houses but rine for them to be rebuilt. He with his remedies. Unfortunately, O.B.E., who moved

be remembered that the two great the getting of sites. "I think we did not think it would be a wise That the Housing Problem is cities which were growing up in ought to say to the Government," thing to attempt to check rebuilding the problem, here especially,

the most serious problem confront-the, Colony were separated by he proceeded, stop taxing of old houses. is vastly more complex than

ing the local Administration; it the harbour, There he would make out. Tax lies at the root of the high cost of road, по bridge and

you increase living, it explains in large measure tunnel connecting the two cities, the price of tea; tax houses and the constantly increasing rate of and they could only be brought into you increase the price of houses-wages, and by the overcrowding close touch and developed properly entailed it constitutes a perpetual if an up-to-date system of ferries that is how Mr. McGuigan saw menace to the health and well was inaugurated. The recent great taxation system remained they of view of the workmen as well as being of the community, and that development in Shamshuipo had would get no great improvement in those higher up in the social scale. therefore the Government be asked been greatly contributed to by put housing conditions. They might (Applause). Replying to Mr. Lo's to appoint a Commission to inquire ting on a better class of ferry to just as reasonably enquire why fish suggestion to continue the Rents into the Housing Problem and serve that district. But that class were not caught on the Peak. He Ordinance until the report of the Transit questions in connection of ferry was not good enough. They suggested that the Government be Commission was made, the Chair- with the same."

must make the communications in asked to abolish the taxation of man did not think that any Govern- Rise in Building Costs. this Colony as good as they were in houses and raise the revenue by a ment, however zealous and energe- "If you tic, would, the day after the report Ltd. should be recovered from sugar or

other parts of the world, for in- tax on the value of land. Mr. Alabaster said that rather stance Sydney and San Francisco, remove the obstacles," Mr. Mc- had been received, say that the milk. Thus would you have more than four years ago, in an In connection with the develop Guigan concluded, "the Chinese Ordinance should cease and the the same result-your house adjoining room in that building, a

sion be brought into force. He would still cost the same and meeting passed a resolution by a ment of communications, the Com-workmen will supply all the houses recommendations of the Commis contended that the Rents Restric- very large majority asking the mission might recommend the required in Hongkong."

tion Act had done good in the likewise your cup of tea. The Government to appoint a Com-establishment of a Board of Com

Colony. (Applause). He only alternative is to forego mission to enquire into the housing not an advocate of an unnecessary carried unanimously, Mr. L. Mnot for a moment say that it was

clid revenue altogether and that the problem and various questions in number of Boards, but he pointed Whyte moved the second resolu perfect, but it had achieved its ob

connection therewith. That was Government will never face,

not done and the situation now was out that the advantage of & Board of tion:

Communications would be that the That this Mecting approves theject of giving protection to tenants Moreover, even if Mr. McGuigan's worse than it was then.. He pro different departments which dealt extension of the Rents Restriction of houses-built before the Ordin- claim held that the land tax must posed, therefore, to ask the meeting with communications would be Ordinance and, considers that, in ance, against having their rents raised. (Applause). That was very be borne by the land owner, what to reaffirm the resolution passed able to co-ordinate their ideas and the best interests of the community, important and had been a great

then. The Commission, if appoint- happens? The biggest land owner cd, could have usefully devoted its policy. He considered that there the Ordinance should be continued boon to many people. He con- here, as Mr. Alabaster pointed enquiries- to three channels, first were many proposals pigeon-holed until such time as the supply meets fessed that when the Ordinance was

in one or other of the departments the demand, Goverment itself.ly, building costs; secondly land the Colony because there was no out, is the

the values; and thirdly, communica Board to co-ordinate the various

Mr. A. F. B. Silva Netto second-brought in he had an idea that they would find the approaches to the And anyway, one of

tions. With regard to building! meeting's resolutions was CX-

Mr. M. K. Lo said he would like law courts blocked with litigants. On the contrary, the Ordinance had costs, they had, as they all knew,

Workers' Hardship. to move an amendment that the worked very smoothly and there pressly designed to pave the way risen enormously during the last for wage earners to acquire land, few years, and it had become Seconding the resolution, Mr. Rents Ordinance be continued until had been comparatively few cases themselves' and build their own practically impossible in certain W. S. Bailey pointed out that a the report of the housing commis- which had been brought forward districts to build a house which great proportion of the workmen aion to be appointed under the first.

Mr. G. W. Sewell suggested that homes Moreover, new houses are could be fet at an economic rent employed in the dockyards and resolution had been received. One for decision. (Hear, hear).. exempt from control and these This was not due entirely to the other industrial concerns were aspect of the question to which rents are governed by the law of, rise in wages. It was true that compelled to walk long distances he desired to direct attention was another public meeting should be under the Ordinance all called when the Commission re- wages had been increased all over to work owing to their being that supply and demand. If the sup the world, but building costs driven away by the high rents new houses were exempted, with ported, in order that they might ply is small

and the demand, had not risen in other places charged in the vicinity of their the result that most of the specula- discuss the Ordinance in the light is great--as

arc-with the speed that

they employment. The workers were, tors and investors in land served of the recommendations made.

Up Or Down? therefore, put to expense and three months notice under the

Mr. McGuigan said he would then the rent will be bigh which had in this Colony,

the causes was the insufficiency of hardship. The high cost of house Rents Ordinance and turned the ever pays the tax, land or house, skilled labour, and the Commission rent had also to do with the high tenants out, in order that houses like to know, if Mr. Lo's proposal because even if the landowner might well enquire into the cause cost of living, and the Colony was might be pulled down and re-built was put into force, whether the recover the of the insufficiency. Another was therefore at a disadvantage in and not be affected by the Ordia- higher rents would fall or the amount by increasing the rent and the multiplicity of profits. In Hong- competing with other ports in the ance. They had this curious result, lower go up. It seemed to him kdag we had a system of sub-con- East for work and business. The that whereas they had two houses that the man who was now paying the tenant's only alternative is paytracting, with a number of con-high cost of living and of rents exactly the same size one new the lower rent would have a further thrust upon him. or get out. However satisfactory tractors employed on the same job, had the effect of increasing the and the other old the ono was let burden

Hongkong at exactly twice the rent of the (Applause). Legislation of this kind was no remedy of the housing elsewhere, Mr. McGuigan's sugall getting the same profits. There cost of poduction.

were too few head contractors, lived by production to a very large other.

“Licensed Profiteers." problem, but in the meantime it gestion is impracticable here. The Commission might well en- extent, and anything which tended But this does not,

The Rents Ordinance produced was a protection to a large number of quire into and break down any con- to affect production was harmful Thus for many years the Govern-

alised and licensed profiteers in to throw away that protection.. ment denied that a housing prob- course, weaken the reasons he tractors ring, if such existed, by to both workers and capitalists. It 1928, at Shanghai, to Rev. and lem existed. Then one day popular urged for having the problem making all sub-contractors into In- had been said that the high cost of a class of what he might call lag of people and they could not afford The Medical dependent contractors in competi- building was due to some extent to rent. There was no limit to the (Applause). I think we had better speedily solved.

tion with each other. Another rings formed by contractors. Mrs. Frank Rawlinson, a outery made itself heard and tardy | Officer's annual report shows how scheme they could adopt was that Anything of that kind must be rent except the limit which was go on with what we have got until set up by the law of supply and we get something better" Mr. There were,

absolutely broken.. What the demand. Mr. Lo said that his exper McGuigan added, amid applause. right his statement is that present of standardisation. KAY-On March 9, 192, at Che though it has proved itself, how-housing conditions mean heavy in most countries, people who Colony needed was ample houses sence showed that it was the works Only three voted in favour of

shire, England, to Mr. and

class who suffered most. the amendment when it was Mrs. . . Kay, a non. By

wastage of human life through practised the profession of quanti- at moderate rents, so that it could cable).

unly one aspect of " the most scri- werowe, and Mr. Wy surveyors: but here there were told its own with other places and for the most part they lived in put to the meeting and the

no such persons. Contracts were enable men to live in comfort.

dilapidated houses, which the land resolution was carried by an over- Something Stronger Wanted. HUNTING.–On March 10, 1923, ous problem confronting the local Bailey made clear the serious put out for tender and there was an

lords found it profitable to pull whelming majority. at Shanghai, to Mr. and Mrs. Administration? Many other as-handicap the Colony suffers in extraordinary diversity in the price that the resolution was not strong people were left homeless, and they Mr. J. H. McGuigan considered down and rebuild. Some of these B. M. Hunting, a son.

pects have still been ignored, forc-competition with other centres quoted. If there were professional

quantity surveyors, who could enough. The present housing con- could not go back to the houses un- MARRIAGE,

ing up the cost of living and endan-where living costs, wages, and tell exactly the amount of material ditions, he said, were responsible less they were prepared to pay should be to encourage house- gering health through overcrowd-production charges are less owing to be put into every contract, it not merely for a great deal of ill what was demanded. Mr. Lo hoped building both by corporations and BELL-HUNT-On February 3, fag. And it was to emphasize these to cheaper rents. Yesterday's would be easier for the Chinese health and suffering but for the the meeting would not give a de-private individuals by the foliow 1923, at Tientsin, David Allen aspects that yesterday's public public meeting, in emphasizing contractors to tender. Lastly there destruction of he loss of finite pronouncement that the Rents ing, amongst other, methods:

were material costs. Material had some years the loss of life from Ordinance should be continued (i) Opening up suitable areas Erskine, younger son of the meeting was held. to emphasize these aspects as never before and gone up and therefore building diseases arising from overcrowding until the supply exceeded the de- (ie, areas containing a number of lafe Colonel Whiteford John and Mow. Hell, to Alargaret these obvious evils and their clearly showing that the com- Ordinances which were designed was appalling. If they were going mand, because such a state of sites in close proximity to one Wingyett Suckling Winequally obvious remedies. Once munity's patience, is exhausted, to provide houses of a certain kind to do anything worth while they affairs would not be brought about another requiring a minimum ex- of material would have to give way state of affairs. The resolution only knows what will happen in zopenditure upon preparation) by ought to suggest a remedy for this for another 20 years. "The Lord some"), elder daughter of Mr. having passed the resolution brought remedy appreciably and be re-examined, so that they and Mrs. W. H. Hunt, of asking the Government to appoint nearer, since, as we have already might build with other materials was fartoo mild. The appointment years time if the people who build providing cheap and rapid means

a commission to inquire into theated, only strong and repeated than those the law now required. housing problem and transit questions connected therewith, the emphasis will seemingly make the hard, unpleasant facts ap-

· BERTHET-On March 13, 1993, meeting had really little left to

at Shughni. Jane Elizabeth, discuss, because this commission, preciated in official circles. dearly beloved wife of J. A. | which would, presumably posseS5 Berthet.

the ablest personnel possible,

·MACDOUGALL.--On March 13,

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Alexandra Buildings.

official action was taken. Excellent

ever, the rents act has dealt with

1923, at Shanghai, John Cyril must thoroughly examine the Macdougall, aged 42 years.

whole problem before framing any.

both now

is mulcted he can

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

One of

To Encourage Building......... Mr. D. V. Steavenson proposed: That the aim of the Government

configuration of the land shows that course to be expedient, and planning settlements before the lots are offered for sale to the public, on lines similar to those: followed by private enterprise at Kowloon Tong

of access (e.g., by the construction of a Housing Commission, Mr. new houses are allowed to charge of long-promised tramways to McGuigan considered, seemed to whatever rents they like whilst Wanchai Gap, to the south side of Rush for Land.

him to be only a way of delaying the old dwellings are still subject the Island via Wong Nei Cheong The second channel of enquiry the question. It was taken for to the Rents Ordinance," Mr. Lo which the Commission might granted at home that the appoint added, amid applause. He moved Gap, and through the Kowloon

peninsula. pursus, Mr. Alabaster proceeded, ment of a Royal Commission was an amendment substituting the was that of land values. To the simply one way of shelving a ques- words "until the report of the (i) Levelling extensive areas cost of every house built a premium tion. A solution of the housing housing commission has been re- for building purposes, where the must be added to pay for the land, problem could only mean that the ceived for "until such time as the and if Crown land was sold as it loss of life attributable to bad hous-supply meets the demand.” was to-day, the tremendous coming conditions should cease. Fail-

Mr. H. Kwong seconded the Saturday, April 7, has been petition created led to an increase ing to solve the housing problem amendment. PRINGLE-On March 12, 1923, recommendations. However; this fixed for the First Gymkhana. in the cost of building. Mr. or delaying the solving of it meant

An Extraordinary Demand, at the Victoria Nursing Home, does not mean that yesterday's dis- Entries close on March 24, Alabaster quoted the Causeway that the loss of life must go on from

Replying to Mr. Lo,the Chairman Shanghai, John Dunbar March

Bay lot sold the other day for six year to year... During the last 50 Pringle, eldest son of the late cussion was wasted. Yesterday's

(iii) The extension of financial The four Chinese who were times the upset price. That cost years the housing question had urged that they could not possibly Jolm und Florence Eugene discussion was very valuable. Not charged at yesterday's Criminal had to be added to the cost formed an ever-recurring subject say that either the shortage of land assistance to such of the community Pringle, aged 29 years." only did it emphasize obvious Sessions with robbery were sen- of building. It would be better of discussion in the press, the plat- or the high cost of building was as are desirous of building their

evils but it also revealed some tenced to five years jail each. if the Government increased form and Parliament. Goyon due to the Rents Ordinance. The own homes hitherto not generally ̈known,

the amount of land available rather ments had enacted legislation in an reason for the difficulty was that The Royal Artillery athletic than restricting it and increasing attempt to solve the problem or at there was an extraordinary demand (iv) That in considering the should follow the ex- The China Mail. Among these was the practice meeting will be held on the the competition for what for at for houses in the Colony. That provision of means of transic the Mr. M. K. Lo denounced, the re- U.S.R.C. ground on Friday, the was. It was also a fact that, land but conditions had got worse all demand, during the last few years ample set by Municipal bodies at building wriggle. This practice 23rd: Lieut. Col. W. O. S. Sanders on which it was physically possible the time. Mr. McGuigan quoted had been due to the disturbed Home and give greater weight, to HONGKONG, TUKIDAY, MARCH 20, 1993. Mr. Lo held sufficient reason for and the officers will be at home to to build houses varied in value from from a press article filustrating the state of the neighbouring province the convenience of the Public than friends between 3 and 6 p.m. something like half a cent a foot to conditions in Birmingham, and in China, which had caused a large to the immediate financial, aspect, watering down the meeting's als

about $100 a foot. It was pointed out that the housing influx of Chinese into the Colony,

is the property of the Crown, which, most unanimous wish to have the Capt. T. H. Binney, D.S.O., impossible to put up a reasonable question was at the present time: A Director of one of the steamship especially as all land in this Colony, HOUSING MEETING.

formerly Commander of HMS building at the highest prices, occupying first place in public companies mentioned to him the therefore, profits directly by its rents act extended until supply forming, luas been appointed Flag- unless they were skyscrapers, attention. "I do not wish to dis-other day that in times of disture development. meets demand. His suggestion Captain and Chief of Staff of HM.S. Land of the cheaper values could courage you," Mr. McGuigan probances in the neighbouring pro Mr. Johnstone seconded. Only the fool emphasizes the that the act be continued until the Cardiff, flagship of the Cruiser not be brought within the building ceeded, but I think you have got vinces he had known no less than obylous. Even the Chinese' coolie proposed housing commission Squadron of the Mediterranean areas unless the communications to realise, if you are going to sovle 50,000 people new temporary re knows, that. But here, it would has been appointed and sub-

were improved By communied the housing question in Hongkong, Lidents come down to seek refuge. tions he did not mean merely that you will have to get this in Hongkong in the course of three sometimes seem only the fool Ject to its rego endations

ding to the Chinese press roads. No one who had to go to Government to do something far days. As most of the speakers ignores the obvious. Other brought the

American judicial officers are work every day wanted to walk more radical than has been done pointed out, they suffered to

to arrive in Shanghal five or six miles there and back in England sumething more great extent from the shortage of Lobingler was unable They wanted something cheap and radical than you are asking for in land, but he hoped that that would this when protch something quick.

this resolution." What was wanted be remedied to a great extent. ed but he stated that it might

Transit Facilities.

was that they should ask the the resolution which he would have commission in con One of the resolutions to be Government to take the taxes off the honour to propose Ister on with the question of ex-moved by another speaker referred buildings and put taxce on land, with regard to military lands was

These would" bavé | values

acceded to by all the powers 5

TROTE, JUSTICE, FUALIU SERVICE

Hongkong citizens would nover that the meeting com

make any headway, with their be Dire the Government, would demands for reforme. Emphasiz-ampoint the commiss

ing the obvious, repeatedly and clearly the Government

emlagly is the thi

LAN move, our rulers.

a

(Continued on page 5.)

spondency Inn.to

snstipation

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