1937-10-13 — Page 16

THE CHINA MAIL, OCTOBER 13, 1937.

SIREVENUE BRIBERY TRIAEЯ Police Case Book System Also Discussed Critically

KOWLOON STREET LIGHTING

Mr. Leo D'Almada's Speech

year

would be possible to make provision each of these hawking offences occu- parochial standpoint, instead of an in- for carrying out this work in 1938, as pied an average of two minutes in s ternational undertaking closely bound expressed by the Honourable Colonial Police Court, this alone would account with the welfare or the affiction Secretary in a letter to the Kowloon for $68 hours in the year, the equival- China and other neighbouring con Residents Association dated Septem- ent of 144 6-hour days. The trial of tries. ber 30th 1936, has not been fulfilled Hawking Offences, therefore, may be The cholera epidemic of_this It is a matter which should receive the said to have been a full time job for found as practically unprepared, des- earliest attention possible.

a single Magistrate for half of a work pite the fact that Siam (with which we ing year. (I see that my honourable have close and frequent shipping con- friend Mr. M. K. Lo has made calcula nections) has for years recorded annual tions similar to mine, with this differ spring outbreaks, and this year one in ence, that I have credited Magistrates a most virulent form. From Siam the with an extra hour's work per day) epidemic had spread to Hoihow, thence here and Canton and later -Shanghai. and other coastal ports-of China.

VACCINE SHORTAGE

BRIBERY TRIAL:

*

I pass now to a subject which has The Hon Mr. Leo D'Almada, Jun

Your Excellency As a resident been commented on not a little in the last few weeks, and which, but for the the Kowloon and a member of

fact that the present unfortunate hos-

CASE BOOK SYSTEM Committee of the Kowloon Residents tilities between Japan and China, are Association I propose to deal first overshadowing everything else, would Admittedly, Sir, some of these were with some of Kowloon's more pressing

We were unprepared in the sense before passing on to two other most certainly have gained more public offences which must be dealt with by s

attention and criticism. At the Sep Police Court. But for each of these that: of equal interest to me and

tember Criminal Sessions of the Su- there must be half-a-dozen which Firstly, we did not possess an ade- affect the Colony as a whole. The hoary subject of Kowloon's preme Court two cases were tried in could have been met by a word of quate supply of anti-cholera vaccine at which the Revenue Department a warning from the Police Officer in the the outset, consequently our health an Son of Government's parsimony in peared in none too happy a light. In Charge Room concerned, whose dis- thorities were obliged to wire for vac-

reet Lighting is one which, by

direction, has found its way into one, two Chinese Revenue Officers were cretion could be relied on in sach one from Java, Singapore and Earrope. indicted for armed robbery while pur cases. However, I have heard that I believe this epidemic should bring one or more speeches in several pre porting to be searching a junk for con- the large number of petty offences home to us the advisability of keeping

lous debates, and from year to year. aband cargo. They

charged is due in great measure to the in future an adequate stock of vaccine. with a steady increase in Kowloon's

2

were found

traffic, the crying need for improve guilty. In the other, à European Re- existence of what is known as a “Case, on hand in cold storage for emergen ment grows. To my recollection, the venue Officer was charged with having Book," which constitutes a Police Con- purposes. sole frait of several accidents in Na received a bribe in connection with his stable's Record of Cases to his credit. Secondly, we have no proper hospital Than Road after dark, fatal accidents duties, and the trial revealed the fol- and by which his chances of promo- for the accommodation of infections lowing astounding state of affairs tion are governed, the principle ap disease cases, where they can be admit more than one case, has been, so Witnesses for the Crown included parently being the more cases, the ted without loss of time and treated by a skilled stail, with proper equipments. better the man

he obsolete Kennedy Town Infec - tious Diseases Hospital proved too in- adequate, and resort was made to -improvise the old Government Civil

what result can be imagined.

been heard of this matter

NATHAN ROAD

offence.

“SCANDALOUS”

I have heard even,

-

HIGH DEATH RATE

the In fainess to the Medical authori-

ar as Government is concerned, promise of better things in the future number of Chinese Revenue. Officers

ad experiments on a small scale with who confessed to having received bri that fines are on occasion inflicted on modern and better lights. These latter bes of varying sums in the same tran officers whose case-books over & cer ere observed and commented upon by saction. Some of them even deposed tain period show a blank. If this be the Kowloon Residents Association, to the receipt of similar bribes by correct, it is a system which cannot be whose views on the subject were other Chinese Revenue Officers who too strongly condemned, for, while Hospital to meet the emergency, with

nght by Government, some months were not called making a total of contributing unnecessarily to the work

since when nothing further has twelve officers in all guilty of this of Police Courts, it has the further From the first appearance of cholera and far greater disadvantage of be on the 22nd July, 1937, until the 2nd ing utterly wrong, in that it is dir- October, 1937, according to the figures ectly contrary to the best conception kindly supplied me by the Honourable - One would have thought that this of what constitutes a good policeman. The Director of Medical Services, 1,835 I venture to suggest, Sir, that even If the financial position does not war was a sufficiently serious matter to In the 1912 Edition of Sir Howard cases were reported with 1,635 deaths. rant the admittedly heavy expenditure warrant at least the suspension of Vincent's Police Code will be found the Some 1,342 cases were treated in Gov- necessary to modernise the whole of these officers pending investigation, following, from an Address to Police ernment Hospitals. Kowloon's inefficient lighting, Nathan instead of which the fact was that Constables on their Duties, by the Late Road, at least, and that part of Sans. they one and all continued on duty Right Hop Lord Brampton, written bury Road which Inks it to the Ferry, and, at least nine weeks after the specially for the book, are at present so dangerous to rego discovery of the offence, were still en constable who keeps his beat free from ties, I cannot say offhand how much of tiate on a dark and wet night, that trasted with the collections of the Col- crime deserves much more credit than the untoward result is due to the lack to postpone much longer the introduc. ony's revenue. In the absence of any the man who only counts up the of modern methods and how much is tion of better lighting would be tanta- reasonable explanation and for the number of convictions he has obtained due to the virulence of the germs of mount to a disregard of the welfare life of me I cannot see how one can be for offences committed within it. It the present epidemic, although the and safety of the community, pedes forthcoming the position is nothing is true that the latter makes more death-rate, which works out to be 63.3%

short of scandalous. I am well aware show than the former, but the former appears to me unduly high. trians and motorists alike.

In urging upon the necessity of a Whereas accidents have failed to im- of the necessity for making use of ac is the better officer.""

modern hospital for infectious diseases, press Government. sufficiently in the complices in order to secure evidence Never,

- ANOTHER GAUGE

I wish to remind Government firstly of case of street lighting, it is gratify against one of their number:

our responsibilities to the public in all ing to note that these have brought however, in my experience or within

Making all due allowances for the matters pertaining to health, and responsible a about provision for improvement in my knowledge has so another direction. I refer to the vote body as a government stooped to the difference in conditions in Hong Kong secondly our international obligation as passed last month for widening that point of retaining these accomplices in from those prevailing in England, I a signatory to the Sanitary Convention portion of the Castle Peak Road just its service in order to achieve this end. still fail to see any justification for a of Paris 1926, which requires, among With the The proper and only course would have system which sets the discovery rather other things, every signatory to provide before, Tsun Wan Vilage.

that been to dismiss these persons, at the than the prevention of crime at a for the establishment of proper hospi- completion of this work and which is being carried out on the Tai- same time not charging them, or, al premium. One may well imagine the tals for quarantinable diseases, Le po Road where it skirts Kowloon Re- ternatively, offering no evidence against dangers attendant on such a system plague, cholera, yellow-fever, servoir, the task of eliminating dan them, and if this did not prove suff, where a man of unscrupulous con- pox, typhus, etc.).

be cient inducement to give evidence, the science is concerned, with opportunit gerous corners and curves may

CHAIWAN CEMETERY At matter should have ended there. Look-ies such as this Colony affords by rea- said to be reasonably complete.

Under Public Works Extraordin tention should henceforth be directed ing through Hansard for 1934 some son of its thousands of ignorant peo to the surfaces of the various roads days ago I chanced upon some remarks ple. If this system does prevail, then,

in the no matter for how long it has been Heading 34, I note that provision. on the Peninsula and in the New under the heading of Bribes

made for the development Territories, many of which show signs Budget Speech of the then Senior Un- in existence, I sincerely urge the pro- of rapid deterioration. As a whole, official Member, Sir William Shenton per authority seriously to consider Indeed, rond surfacing on the island (Hansard 1934 pp. 138-139), suggest putting an end to it, and to substitute appears to have been carried out much ing that Government investigate care therefore some other gauge wher more efficiently and probably more fully into the possibility of corrupt police-officer's efficiency and his right

pensively than Kowloon, and practices in the Revenue Department to promotion may be measured.

single entry i here can be no good reason for the on the ground of a difference

trader's book and certain rumours.

in

We in Kowloon hope that part of the vote for antimalarial work will be apportioned to the Grampian and Carpenter Roads where

·ATERS TEAT

CAUSE FOR "PROBE"

investigation

SO

DR. LI

SHU FAN

Infectious Diseases Hospital

small-

sion of the cemetery at Cha Frankly, I cannot view this with equanimity, because, sitza

mark, adjoining the ri

of Chai Wan is a curat

harbour. This being the case, I fear" visitors to this Colony would be given, before they see Hong Kong, a very un-- pleasant, if not grave, first impression of our fair islandiak

I believe it is the consensu's of opin If cause for careful

ion that the natural beauty of this Co- drainage and other sanitation measures then existed on such comparatively

lony is one of our most valuable assets, and it should be our duty to perserve have long been in demand.

meagre evidence, I venture to suggest

it at all costs. In this connection,... I USE OF WORD “PARK” that these two cases, one of armed robbery and another of barefaced,

The Hon. Dr. Là Shu-fan said:-Your trust no public works will be done in Realising full well the difficulties "mass" receipt of bribes by a dozen Excellency, The Budget for 1938 has the future which may have the effect of facing Government in budgetting at officers, calls for one of those rigid in been so fully dealt with by my Honour. nullifying the splendid efforts made by the present time, I feel that it is never quiries which Americans vividly able colleagues that there is little left the Hong Kong Travel Association in theless regrettable that it has not been describe as a probe In future, too, for me to add. However, there are cer- putting Hong Kong on the map as an found possible to include a sum for a the Superintendent of Imports and Ex- tain aspects on which I would like to attractive tourist resort.

I wish to take this opportunity Leprosarium. Government, I hope, is ports might well take a leaf out of the make a few remarks. alive to the necessity for such an in-, Hon. L G. P's book, and deal in his If it were not for the uncertainty congratulate the Chairman of the Tra- stitution and it should be a primary annual report with the conduct of the ahead and other reasons se lucidly set vel Association for its successful under consideration when dealing with the officers in his Department.

out by the Honourable The Colonial taking, despite the fact that much has. estimates for 1939.

I cannot conclude without some re- Secretary, I would like to see, the in- been pioneering work. I trust the pub- One last word about Kowloon, and ference to Heads 18 and 19 in the clusion in this Budget of provision for lie will continue to give the Association:

is more specially concerned with Memorandum on the Estimates of Ex- certain amenities, particularly medical; the support it deserves.

enities. Promises have from penditure for 1938-Magistracy, Hong namely, a hospital for infections dis- I understand there is a propos time to time been made by Government Kong and Kowloon. Provision is here eases and also the long awaited: Sama-

extend

"Park the made for coping with "the progressive torium ernment chooses to ly increasing number of cases on My Honourable colleague, the Senior bordering both sides of the harbour. Turning to Unofficial member, has expressed the ord jus Appendix K being the Beport of the urgent need of a hospital for infections that it is Inspector General of Police for 1936, diseases. Perhaps as the only unofficial

se Table T shows the yearly Return of member of this Council with maed

Crime for the hole Colony for 1938. kn

be permitted he total Chi

pro

under the

settlement on

tion project, bec

of L

ches

to

hope

CHO

the questi

EPIDEMIC

For too long in the services from a the past we have looked upon

T. AGRICULT

With refers Devel

the of the New Te tinued on Page