CO129-294 - Governor Sir Blake - 1899 [10-12] — Page 287

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had not escaped my observation. I found in April last that the Medical Officer of Health and the Sanitary Board, were rather disposed to await the final adoption of the New Insanitary Dwellings Bill than to use the powers already conferred upon them by Sections 16, 19, 37, and 70 of the Public Health Ordinance of 1887; and Section 9 of Ordinance 15 of 1894. I pointed out to the Board that their duty was to use the powers already conferred upon them, and, in consequence of a representation of the Medical Officer of Health that the legal powers under Section 70 of the Public Health Ordinance of 1887 was too slow, I passed an Ordinance (16 of 1899) reducing the time for abatement of overcrowding from one month to one week after notice. The Board have since then been active in closing Insanitary Dwellings and dealing with overcrowding.

4. The Insanitary Properties Bill to which allusion has been made in the reports of Dr. Clark and Dr. Atkinson has now reached its final stage and will, I expect, be passed at the next meeting of Council. It is a measure of compromise and has been the subject of much and careful consideration.