CO129-285 - Acting Governor Major Gen Black - 1898 [9-10] — Page 581

tlements and I think that would not be the case if it only applied to European ports.

After some conversation respecting the reso- Intions the PRESIDENT said-With reference to the inspection of shipping it is the duty of the captain of any vessel to proceed to the quaran.. tine anchorage--

The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH-It sannot be proved that he has a knowledge of in- fectious diseases.

! The PRESIDENT-Therefore I do not think it is any good recommending action by the Government that cannot be followed up. It is uo good recommending the Government to carry out the recommenda- tions of the Venice conforance because there is no quarantine station here where we can keep 500 or 600 people for ten days. The alternative system of surveillance is, I think, an impractic- able one, and I move as an amendment-"That a letter be addressed to the Colonial Secretary advising that (a) the medical inspection of the shipping in this colony be carried on as at pre- sent, but that to bring the practice here more into accord with that at home that: Part 2 of the Regulations issued by the Local Govern- ment Board be incorporated, as far as practic able, into the present Quarantine Regulations, an officer of Police or of the Harbour Depart- ment being substituted for an officer of Cus- toms, (b) To prevent any unnecessary delay in the signing of bills of health, examination of emigrants to America and Singapore, Dr. Jordan's assistant be appointed Depaty Health Officer during such time he is his assistant. (c) The next incumbent of the post of the Health Officer of the Port to devote the whole of his time to the anties of the post." The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH -I am content that if you say that every v. . enter- ing the harbour shall be boarded by somebody aud a declaration given by an officor bofore the ship communicates with the shore. That is dove at home and it works very satisfactorily.

The PRESIDENT-If you agree to this ameud- ment, Dr. Clark, will you withdraw your original motion? I am quite willing for the minutes and the whole of the correspondence to be for- warded to the Government.

The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH-I would sooner the Government gave its decision. The Chamber of Commerce might decide which of the alternatives is proferable.

The PRESIDENT then read his amendments and after some courersation respecting the last two paragraphs of the amendment,

'The CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE said-I beg to second your amendment, and in doing so I would say that I do not think any necessity has been shown for any such radical change in the medical inspection of vessels arriving in the port as has been suggested in the original rosolution. The great point about the practice at home is undoubtedly the surveillance, which of course presents an enor- mous difficulty here, and Dr. Clark has sug- gested that it might be got over by a system of guarantee. In the first place, as you have pointed out, the enormous number of passen. gers arriving in this colony renders the put- ting into effect of that system of guarantee one of great difficulty. 1 do not believe that it could be successfully caped with myself, but in any case I think it has escaped Dr. Clark's at- tention that the guarantee system could be very easily avoided. It could be put into effect only against an infected port. Take the port of Swatow, against which we issued a proclamı- stion only this year. The coolies went from there to Canton, transhipped, and came on bere by the Canton steamer and laughed up their sleeves at the Hongkong Government. If you enforced the guarantee system against Swatow they would do the same thing and escape Therefore I do not think the system would work and I beg to second the amendment. I think, with some slight matters which you have suggested, that the existing system of medical inspection is good enough for Hongkong for some time to come.

The I

581 554

The amendment was then put. The Presi- dent and the Captain of Superintendent of Police voted for it and the Acting Director of Public Works and the Medical Officer of Health voted; against it. The President gave his casting vote in favour of the amendment, which was therefore carried.

The PRESIDENT-With reference to the Venice Convention I think it was understood that probably some of the colonies might not adhere to it, because in the Secretary of State's letter he said Her Majesty's Government had agreed that the convention shall, after ratification, apply at once to India and the Straits Settlements, but not to any other British colony or possession, unless its adhesion is notified to the Italian Government within a year from the date of ratification. The GoverH- ment hoped, however, that the colouiss generally would adhere to the convention. As the local i conditions are such that it is impracticable for a system of surveillanos to be carried on I propose That a letter be addressed to the Colonial Secretary advising the Government that this colony cannot adhere in its entirety with the convention as there is no quarantine station here where passengers and crews of infected ships cau be kept under observation,” and that the alternative surveillance impracticable here owing to local conditions and the great numbers of the coolie traffic."

The CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE -I beg to second.

18

Only the mover and seconder voted for the motion, which was carried by the casting rote of the President,

MORTALITY STATISTICS.

For the week ended 31st July the death rate was 23.8 per 1,000 per annun, as against 17 for the corresponding period of last year; for the week ended 7th August the rate was 174, as against 21.5, and for the week ended 14th August the rate was 25.1, as against 1..3.

ADJOURNMENT

The Board then adjourned until Thursday week.

574