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With these few remarks I beg to move that the report be adopted.
Hon. C. P. CHATER-Sir, I beg to second the resolution jast moved by the Director of Pub .o Works, and in doing so I am echoing the opinion of my unofficial colleagues, with the exception of the hu in-mber <pposite (člov. R. Belilios), who no doubt will exuress his views on the subj et sherly. It will doubtles be in your Excellency's roollection that at the Council meeting of the 17th September, 1891. I moved for the appointment of a Commission to decide whether the original plus of destruc- Lou of Taipingsban should be carried out or not. It is hardly accessary for me to remind
1 you that the original plan or, if I may say so, the popular plan, was that of total destruction hy i fire, involving, as I then poin ed ont, a very large expense to the Government, while it was my hope that if the Cominission I asked for were appointed, it would prisps fall in with my views, for milated after personal iąspection of the district, viz, that a partial destruction. that of the foulest and wholly irredeemable blocks, together with the adeption of the necessary measures for rendering the remainder sanitary, the cutting away of the backs of houses, and the making of new lanes and back yards and thereby perinit. ting the introduction of light and the proper circulation of sir, would be sufficient. Since then the circumstanges have altered. Mr. Cooper returned from, teave, made minute surveys, and issne a report, the outcome of his labours feing the scheme be has laid before us. fr. m which it will be seen be bas gaite abus- doned the idea of total destruction by Bro. I need hardly say that I bave gone most carefully into this solempe, We bare had two meetings of Public Works Committe, and one of the office members called specially to discuss this matter, to which Mr. ooper was invited and came, and I have also had private interviews with that gentleman. As a result, I have come to the conclusion that, nuder the circumstances. bis sabeme is preferable to m'ne. The main difference between the two consists that wh le I contemplated partial dextruded the opening to light and air of the stracted blocks. Mr. Cooper advoca es pulling down all the bon es, with the exemption of one blok and laying out afresh the entire area. I am sill of opinion that had my plan been adopted, though the initial expenses would have been harier, yet the property would have eventually realiz d mare, the buildings still rem dining stauding over a considerable portion of the area; and that Mr. Cooper, though the sum he pro- poses is a smaller one, yet will not obtain so mach from the sale of material and sites as would have. | ben realized from the execution of my proposal. The great advantage, however, which his possesses is that, instead of a lot of narrow and irregular streets constructed without any regard to proper arran:ement or savitation, it will con fer upon the city a new district properly laid out, and open to light and air, while mine could only bave been of the vature of patch. work. Another advantage in his sch me which I may point out is that all the buildings can now be erected in conformity with all the addi. tions and emendatious lately made in the Health and Bui ding Ordinances. It is for these rea- sons that my colleagues and mys-lt, with the one exception, cousiler that Mr. Cooper's pro- posal should be adopted.
barter con-
Hon. B. R. Fuiltros-I have to propose an amendment, sie. In making my remarks I will not take up the fine of the Connoil in going biek on the fart of the hou. member on my right (Hon. F. A. Cooper). I am glad to note that the Governmen' have finally abandoned the idea of baraing the houses, and also observe : from bis report that Mr. Cooper, at a: svents, is of opinion that the bacillus of the plague is not to be found in the soil, and that the wood and the other materials of the buildings are not Finfected. So far this is satisfactory to bear, but I should have thought these conel sinus furnished strong arguments in favour of slaptior and im- proving the buildingsus they stand rather thau of i destroying them and laying out the are afresh | as proposed by my hon. friend on my right. The plan laid before us has been carefully pre pared and is creditably get up, and it is with reali regret I feel it my duty to oppase it. The plan. moreover, falls in with my individual interets as a property owner, which are bat served by having a large number of dwellings closed, as it has a tendency to drive up rents and all my empty houses Such a consideration must not, however, be allowed to weigh in the balance with the welfare of the colony, which I propose to show will be most adversely affected if this
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scheme is permitted to be carried into effect. With your vermission I will briefly endeavour to show what Mr. Cooper's plan will cost He estimates the cost of laying out the area afrost at $83.000 Now to carry out this plan, all the sites, and get them all built upon, so that rates and taxes may again be collected from the district, will take, I believe, at least six years.
There would therefore have to be reckoned five years' interest on $820,000, the gost. of the resumption, which at 3 per cent, per sunum would amount to about $145.000 adiled to the $83 500 for laying it out, or altogether roughly $1,050,0 Now is it at all like this amount would be realised by the sale of the ground? I do not think any member present will pretend to say that such a sum can ba obtained, the building area having been re- duced from 257 000 to 18 000 square feet. a redaction of 69,000 square feet. Hell & milhon dollars is much varer the fure the Governmut is likly to get. It should I not forgotten that the Praya Re- clamation is going on simultanecu-ly, and laudean to-day be purchased on sea frontage | tor from $1 to $6 a foor. Is it at all probable We can get on an average more than $24 per fout for the land in Taipingsban? Happily there is au alternative project. As it is cov know that fire is not necessary as a cleansing agout, and that the germs of disease are neither the honses nor in the anil, the resumed area can readily, and at a comparatively smail outlay, be placed in a good suitary condition. The streets wer quite roosatly dra-ned, channelled, Korbed, and pavel. Soms of the houses might i even now serve as models for improvement to the owners of ha debe of tenements in worse sums in this city, mud with a reasonable expendi- ture the strict could be conv rted into a cleanly and bealthy one. Fortunately we have in the Government Gazette of the 6th March, in the re- port by the Arbitration Board—Messrs. Ackroyd, Alford. and Dauby-a caretal estimate of the cost at which the houses in the co.demned dis. trict can be mad fit for human habitation. Details are given of every lot, and the gross amount is only $30.924.79. Sug, however, that this estimate would have to be exceeded, and allow $40,000. That is less than half the cost of destroying the property and laying it out afresh, and as ย matter of fact Mr. Cooper's estimate would also probably be exceeded and the area for sale would very possibly be re- duoad 80.000 square foot. Then have regard to the saving in me. If the houses were placed in a sanitary condition the work might be done in twelve mouths, and the distrist be available | for babitation before the summer of 196 Qu the other hand, if it ba decided to destroy an! lay the distriot out afresh, shall wo not be in danger of a repetition of the wauton waste of public money which followed the clearing of the site for the presen Queu's College, which lay idle for about ten years and cost the co- lony by loss of interest along tens of thousands of dollars ? The vout land and rained bungalow etili standing in front of the Pobca compound furnishes au unstructive lesson of the procrastination of Government in sneh matters. It has been lying useless and noo. productive for more than twenty years I hope that in this question of the disposition of the resumed area in Taipingshan business principles will be allowed to prevail. There wl. I tako 1, be a loss in any case, but 11⁄2 us do ose bost to limit it to say half a lakh of dollars and recap ourselves by raising the Crown rent when wa resell the land. Hou, memosra wil by inter sted to bear that the total ares of public and private property resumed consists of 858,000 sq are foot. Out of these the hon member proposes to set aside 165,000 square feet for streets, leav- ing only 188,000) square feet for building par poses. In other wor s. to use up 45 per cent. ‹ f the land for streets A most injudicions and inadvisable mode of dealing with the property.
By ad ping the plan of the Director of Publia Works, and allowing $75,00) for errors, omissions, and price of loose materials, we shall augment that loss to half a million dollars Are
wo prepared to accept that responsibility P Have we any right to so squauder the pubite money I say we have not, and I solemnly wash my bands of that responsibility. I should ill bave discharged my duy to the public had I not. to the best of my poor ability, off-red my protest. against this proposed waste of funds which are so urgently needed for improvement of other po - tions of the city not one whit less in need of it. If we adopt this plan we shall have o ¡y 200 odd houses in the place of 47 houses n w standing in the elemned district. Bosides |
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