64
of the 897 floors returned as being over-crowded, the over-crowding amounts to 4,827 persons, but if the space occupied by staircases, furniture, fittings, etc., etc. is deducted to arrive at the clear air space demanded by the Health Ordinance, then the over-crowding in these rooms amounts to 8,775 persons.
Further, if to these over-crowded floors were added all the floors which on a similar calculation would be found over-crowded, the total amount of over-crowding would be seen to be considerably greater than the present figures indicate.
The reasons why the Committee have not made these deductions are because the measuring of furniture, partitions, etc., etc. would have taken up a great deal of time and would have necessitated the employment of a very large staff, besides which the proceeding would probably have been considered as unnecessarily inquisitorial.
5. The enumeration of the people has been made by the Chinese district watchmen working under the Registrar General. The method adopted was that of verbal enquiry of the householders. The Committee believe they are justified in assuming that the returns they have received are fairly correct, but they cannot be viewed as being absolutely accurate as it is probable that in several instances the answers given to the district watchmen depended in some measure on the idea which each particular person answering had as to the object of the question put.
With a view to in some measure testing the watchmen's returns the Board's Inspectors made careful enquiry at 46 houses in different parts of the town with the following results.
In 27 cases the numbers given to the Inspectors exceeded those given to the watchmen.
In 18 cases the numbers given by the watchmen exceeded those given to the Inspectors.
In 1 case the numbers agreed.
For the 46 houses the total numbers given were
or say
(a.)-By the Inspectors,
(b)-By the Watchmen,
8 per cent.
Difference,
2,322
2,137
185
The date at which the Inspectors' enumeration was made was some months after that at which the watchmen's enumeration was made, so that it does not follow that the watchmen's returns are absolutely wrong inasmuch as changes of occupation may have taken place between the dates at which the enumerations were made. It is, however, a fair inference to draw that the householders have generally somewhat understated the number of persons living in their houses, but, even assuming that their replies give the full number of occupants, it will be seen that over-crowding to a very considerable extent exists.
6. A schedule (4) is attached showing
(a.)-The number of the block.
(b.)-The area of the block.
(c.)-The area of half of the streets surrounding the block.
(d.) The areas of (b.) and (c.) combined.
(e.)-The total number of occupied houses in the block.
(f)-The total number of void houses in the block.
(g.)-The total number of houses in the block.
(h.)-Number of persons residing within the block.
(i)-The number of persons living on an acre.
The following table shows the districts in which the void houses mentioned in the Schedules are situated. The houses were void at the time the enumeration was made.
Most of those in the Central District were at that time in the hands of the builders either as new houses or old houses undergoing repairs.
District,No. of void houses 1. Kennedy Town,12 2. Shek-tong-tsui,49 3. Sai-ying-poon,73 4. Tai-ping-shan,17 5. Sheung Wan,36 6. Chung Wan,98 7. Ha Wan..15 8. Wantsai,42 9. Bowrington,11 10. Sokonpo...11A schedule (B) is attached showing
(a.) The number of the block.
(b.)-The streets in the block.
(c.)-The streets in which over-crowding exists.
(d.)-The number of houses in the street.
(e.)-The number of houses in which over-crowding exists.
(f)-The number of floors in the street.
(g)-The number of floors in which over-crowding exists.
(h.)-The amount of over-crowding.
The forms containing the full details from which these Schedules have been compiled are too voluminous to attach to this report, but they are available for perusal in the Secretary's Office.
With regard to what is known as superficial over-crowding, the Committee consider it advisable to quote a paragraph from a paper which was read in November, 1883 at the Liverpool Diocesan Conference by Mr. ARTHUR B. FORWOOD, Chairman of the Sanitary Committee of the Liverpool City Council.
"As in some minds a prejudice exists against dwellings erected in flats and large blocks, a word or two upon this point at this stage will not be out of place. Overcrowding is the general character of the objections raised. Undoubtedly it is one of the greatest evils with which a sanitarian has to contend. It is commonly supposed that because a given number of persons live upon a certain space, such aggregation must be unhealthy. This is a fallacy. One thousand persons may live in the best of health upon an acre of land, if housed according to approved sanitary regulations, whilst 500 persons may live upon an acre without these precautions, and to them it will mean disease and excessive mortality."
It will be observed that 1,000 persons per acre is here stated as being a large number to house on an acre of land although such can be done without prejudicially affecting the health of such persons.
It will be seen from Schedule A that in a number of the blocks more than 1,500 persons per acre live and in one small block the rate is as high as 3,235 per acre.
From schedule B it will be seen that there are 745 houses in the city in which over-crowding exists, and that in these houses there are 897 floors over-crowded. The total number of persons in these over-crowded floors in excess of the number they are capable of accommodating without the provisions of the Health Ordinance relating to over-crowding being contravened, is 4,827, but it must be remembered that this number refers to the gross measurements of the rooms, and not to the actual clear air space demanded by the Ordinance as particularized in para. 4 of this report.
1
64
of the 897 floors returned as being over-crowded, the over-crowding amounts to 4,827 persons, but if the space occupied by staircases, furniture, fittings, etc., etc. is deducted to arrive at the clear air space demanded by the Health Ordinance, then the over-crowding in these rooms amounts to 8,775 persons.
Further, if to these over-crowded floors were added all the floors which on a similar calculation would be found over-crowded, the total amount of over-crowding would be seen to be considerably greater than the present figures indicate.
The reasons why the Committee have not made these deductions are because the measuring of furniture, partitions, etc., etc. would have taken up a great deal of time and would have necessitated the employment of a very large staff, besides which the proceeding would probably have been considered as unnecessarily inquisitorial.
5. The enumeration of the people has been made by the Chinese district watchmen working under the Registrar General. The method adopted was that of verbal enquiry of the householders. The Committee believe they are justified in assuming that the returns they have received are fairly correct, but they cannot be viewed as being absolutely accurate as it is probable that in several instances the answers given to the district watchmen depended in some measure on the idea which each particular person answering had as to the object of the question put.
With a view to in some measure testing the watchmen's returns the Board's Inspectors made careful enquiry at 46 houses in different parts of the town with the following results.
In 27 cases the numbers given to the Inspectors exceeded those given to the watchmen.
In 18 cases the numbers given by the watchmen exceeded those given to the Inspectors.
In 1 case the numbers agreed.
For the 46 houses the total numbers given were
or say
(a.)-By the Inspectors,
(b)-By the Watchmen,
8
per cent.
Difference,
.2.322 ..2,137
185
The date at which the Inspectors' enumeration was made was some months after that at which the watchmen's enumeration was made, so that it does not follow that the watchmen's returns are absolutely wrong inasmuch as changes of occupation may have taken place between the dates at which the enumerations were made. It is, however, a fair inference to draw that the householders have generally somewhat understated the number of persons living in their houses, but, even assuming that their replies give the full number of occupants, it will be scen that over-crowding to a very considerable extent exists.
6. A schedule (4) is attached showing
(a.)-The number of the block.
(b.)-The area of the block.
(c.)-The area of half of the streets surrounding the block.
(d.) The areas of (b.) and (c.) combined.
(e.)--The total number of occupied houses in the block. (f)-The total number of void houses in the block. (9.). The total number of houses in the block. (h.)-Number of persons residing within the block. (i)-The number of persons living on an acre.
A
The following table shows the districts in which the void houses mentioned
in the Schedules are situated. The houses were void at the time the enumeration was made.
Most of those in the Central District were at that time in the hands of the builders either as new houses or old houses undergoing repairs.
District, 1. Kennedy Town,
"}
2. Shek-tong-tsni, .
17
3. Sai-ying-poon,
"1
4. Tai-ping-shan,
13
5. Sheung Wan,
+1
6. Chung Wan,
7. Ha Wan..
31
8. Wantsai,
9. Bowrington,
י!
"
10. Sokonpo...
A schedule (B) is attached showing
(a.) The number of the block.
(b.)-The streets in the block.
+1
No. of void houses 12.
49.
73.
17.
36.
98.
15
42.
11
!ཎྷཱ
46.
11
11.
(c.)-The streets in which over-crowding exists. (d.)-The number of houses in the street.
(e.)-The number of houses in which over-crowding exists."
-The number of floors in the street.
(g)--The number of floors in which over-crowding exists.
(h.)-The amount of over-crowding.
The forms containing the full details from which these Schedules have been compiled are too voluminous to attach to this report, but they are available for perusal in the Secretary's Office.
With regard to what is known as superficial over-crowding, the Committee consider it advisable to quote a paragraph from a paper which was read in November, 1883 at the Liverpool Diocesan Conference by Mr. ARTHUR B. FORWOOD, Chairman of the Sanitary Committee of the Liverpool City Council.
"As in some minds a prejudice exists against dwellings erected in flats and "large blocks, a word or two upon this point at this stage will not be out of place. *Overcrowding is the general character of the objections raised. Undoubtedly it It is com- "is one of the greatest evils with which a sanitarian has to contend. "monly supposed that because a given number of persons live upon a certain space, "such aggregation must be unhealthy. This is a fallacy. One thousand persons may live in the best of health upon an acre of land, if housed according to approved sanitary regulations, whilst 500 persons may live upon an acre without "these precautions, and to them it will mean disease and excessive mortality."
<
It will be observed that 1,000 persons per acre is here stated as being a large number to house on an acre of land although such can be done without prejudicially affecting the health of such persons.
It will be seen from Schedule A that in a number of the blocks more than 1,500 persous per acre live and in one small block the rate is as high as 3,235 per
acre.
From schedule B it will be seen that there are 745 houses in the city in which over-crowding exists, and that in these houses there are 897 floors over-crowded. The total number of persons in these over-crowded floors in excess of the number they are capable of accommodating without the provisious of the Health Ordinance relating to over-crowding being contravened, is 4,827, but it must be remembered that this number refers to the gross measurements of the rooms, and not to the actual clear air space demanded by the Ordinance as particularized in para. 4 of this report.
1
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