660
2
must secure to an intending colonist a reasonable immunity from preventable disease, and convince and satisfy the existing inhabitants of the Colony, both British and Chinese, on whom its future welfare depends, and who have invested large sums of money in assisting that welfare, that it is doing its utmost to maintain the public health of the Colony, by providing and maintaining an adequate and suitable system of Public Sanitation and Hygiene, which the revenue is well able to afford. The Imperial Government likewise requires that an adequate and thorough system of sanitation be maintained on account of the health of the troops, naval and military, and the many officers attached to these Services and the Civil Service. The local Government must see that nothing is left undone which can be done, to remedy any defects likely to endanger the public health of the community.
5.-Hitherto the Colonists have been refused and are still denied any effective voice in Municipal and Sanitary affairs. The Sanitary Board has the privilege to make recommendations and has for years continuously transmitted most useful suggestions to the Colonial Government. The Board, however, has never had and does not possess the power to carry into effect its recommendations. The Board is not permitted to exercise any control whatever over the city's Municipal Revenue, or over its own subordinates. Therefore, the Sanitary Board is not in any way responsible for the overcrowded and the insanitary condition of Hongkong. The Colonial Government has always exercised and continues to enjoy full and complete power in respect of Sanitary affairs and over the city's municipal and all other expenditure. Consequently the Colonial Government is in every respect wholly and solely responsible for the insanitary condition of Hongkong.
6.--The late Dr. Ph. B. C. Ayres, C.M.G., Colonial Surgeon, in his Annual Report for the Year 1873, said:-
But that this type of disease (resembling typhus or typhoid fever) is gradually assuming a severer form and steadily and surely increasing in Hongkong there is no doubt, as is shown on the inspection of the Tables of previous Annual Reports; this most decidedly indicates a necessity of improvement in the drainage of the town and of regulations concerning the sanitary conditions of the houses of the lower classes whose filthy habits are well known, or in future years these plagues will be endemic in the Colony, and probably end in an epidemic of unenviable renown.
To accentuate Dr. Ayres' prediction his concluding words are printed in italics. The "epidemic of unenviable renown" has been with us since 1894 in the form of Bubonic Plague, and appears likely to rage annually for an indefinite period unless the present insanitary condition of the Colony is thoroughly reformed.
7.- In 1881 the Colony at considerable expense obtained the appointment of Mr. Osbert Chadwick, as special Sanitary Commissioner, who arrived from England to inquire into the sanitation of Hongkong. In his report (dated Nov. 1882) Mr. Chadwick made many valuable recommendations, with the conviction that they would be at once adopted, and it is with great regret your Petitioners have to point out that, with a few exceptions, the whole of his recommendations have been ignored, although since his visit the continued existence of the insanitary evils in the Colony has been repeatedly pointed out by the late Colonial Surgeon and the present Medical Officer of Health. For nineteen years the condition of Hongkong has remained practically as insanitary as when Mr. Chadwick came and reported on it. To prove this your Petitioners humbly submit the following extracts from the said Report:-
The sanitary condition of Hongkong is defective and calls for energetic remedial measures. The death-rate is high, whilst the average age at death is low. (Page 46, par. 16.)
Public latrines are most valuable means of sanitation. They should be acquired by Government, improved, their number increased, and they should be thrown open to the public gratis. In towns having narrow streets, a complete scavenging is of the highest importance. (Page 47, par. 10.)
I would call attention to the indifferent condition of the markets and the want of baths for the poor, also public laundries. The second want was pointed out to me by the Tung-Wah Committee. The provision of a proper water supply for Kowloon Peninsula is recommended, also for some of the larger villages. (Page 48, par. 5.)
I trust that even should these suggestions be found undesirable or impracticable, my report will show the necessity for strong and complete measures of sanitation, and trust that they will be undertaken for the immediate benefit of the public health, without waiting for the necessity to be demonstrated by the irresistible logic of a severe epidemic. (Page 48, par. 7.)
8.-Although Mr. Chadwick's recommendations were written nineteen years ago, and the necessity for "strong and complete measures of sanitation” has been demonstrated by the outbreak of Bubonic Plague, which has claimed some thousands of victims since 1894, the Sanitary Condition of the Colony is so defective and the measures of reform initiated by the local Government have been so inadequate that your Petitioners are compelled to memorialise you direct. Mr. Chadwick further said:-
121-I think that the foregoing facts clearly show that the health of the population is not so good as to make it presumptuous to attempt to reform time-honoured abuses; on the contrary to my mind they prove that reform is urgently required.
9. Mr. Chadwick also recommended the formation of an Improvement Fund, in the following terms:-
180.-To effect larger improvements, which would involve the expenditure of a serious proportion of the year's rent, especially when it is a question of remedying defects in original construction, rather than those arising from defects or misusage, the Government should, on the recommendation of the sanitary authority, carry out the necessary works themselves, paying for the work out of an improvement fund set aside for the purpose, and recovering the expenditure by means of a rate on the property, repaying both principal and interest in, say, 30 years, at the end of which time it would cease. The work would be well and cheaply done, and the annual cost to the landlord would be insignificant.
In this matter nothing has ever been done, and at the meeting of the Hongkong Sanitary Board on May 30th, 1901, Dr. Francis Clark, the Medical Officer of Health, drew attention to this omission. Dr. Clark spoke as follows:--
What the Sanitary Board must do was to importune for these sanitary reforms, which had been pointed out over and over again during these past five and twenty years. As an illustration of what he meant, he might tell the Board that Mr. Chadwick, who was sent as Sanitary Commissioner to consider the Sanitary Condition of the Colony, made the following recommendations.
3
660
}
į
2
must secure to an intending colouist a reasonable immunity from preventable disease, and convince and satisfy the existing inhabitants of the Colony, both British and Chinese, on whom its future welfare depends, and who have invested large sums of money in assisting that welfare, that it is doing its utmost to maintain the public health of the Colony, by providing and maintaining an adequate and suitable system of Public Sanitation and Hygiene, which the revenue is well able to afford. The Imperial Government likewise requires that an adequate and horough system of sanitation be maintained on account of the health of the troops, naval and military, and the many officers attached to these Services and the Civil Service. The local Government must see that nothing is left undone which can be loue, to remedy any defects likely to endanger the public health of the community
5.-Hitherto the Colonists have been refused and are still denied any effective veice in Municipal and Sanitary affairs. The Sanitary Board has the privilege to make recommendations and has for years continuously transmitted most useful suggestions to the Colonial Government. The Board, however, has never had and does not possess the power to carry into effect its recommendations. The ard is not permitted to exercise any control whatever over the city's Municipal Revenue, or over its own subordinates. Therefore, the Sanitary Board is not in any way responsible for the overcrowded and the insanitary condition of Hongkong. The Colonial Government has always exercised and continues to enjoy full and complete power in respect of Sanitary affairs and over the city's municipal and all other expenditure. Consequently the Colonial Government is in every respect wholly and solely responsible for the insanitary condition of Hongkong.
6.--The late Dr. Ph. B. C. Ayres, c.M.o., Colonial Surgeon, in his Annual Report for the Year 1873, said:-
But that this type of disease (resembling typhus or typhoid fever) is gradually assuming a severer form and steadily and surely increasing in Hong- kong there is no doubt, as is shown on the inspection of the Tables of previous Annual Reports; this most decidedly indicates a necessity of improvement in the drainage of the town and of regulatious concerning the sanitary conditions of the houses of the lower classes whose filthy habits are well known, or in future years these plagues will be endemic in the Colony, aud probably end in an epidemic of unenviable renown.
To accentuate Dr. Ayres' prediction his concluding words are printed in italics. The "epidemic of unenviable renown" has been with us since 1894 in the form of Bubonic Plague, and appears likely to rage annually for an indefinite period unless the present insanitary condition of the Colony is thoroughly reformed.
7.- In 1881 the Colony at considerable expense obtained the appointment of Mr. Osbert Chadwick, as special Sanitary Commissioner, who arrived from England to inquire into the sauitation of Hongkong. In his report (dated Nov. 1882) Mr. Chadwick made many valuable recommendations, with the conviction that they would be at once adopted, and it is with great regret your Petitioners have to point out that, with a few exceptions, the whole of his recommendations have been ignored, although since his visit the continued existence of the insanitary evils in the Colony has been repeatedly pointed out by the late Colonial Surgeon and the present Medical Officer of Health. For nineteen years the condition of Hongkong has remained
3
practically as insanitary as when Mr. Chadwick came and reported on it. To prove -
Petitioners humbly submit the following extracts from the said Report :-
this
your
The sanitary condition of Hongkong is defective and calls for energetic remedial measures. The death-rate is high, whilst the average age at death is low. (Page 46, par. 16.)
Public latrines are most valuable means of sanitation. They should be acquired by Government, improved, their number increased, and they should be thrown open to the public gratis. In towns having narrow streets, s complete scavenging is of the highest importance. (Page 47, par. 10.)
I would call attention to the indifferent condition of the markets and the want of baths for the poor, also public laundrice. The second want was pointed out to me by the Tung-Wa Cunamittee. The provision of a proper water supply for Kowloon Peninsula is recommended, also for some of the larger villages. (Page 48, par. 5.)
I trust that even should these suggestions be found undesirable or impracticable, my report will show the necessity for strong and complete measures of sanitation, and trust that they will be undertaken for the immediate benefit of the public health, without waiting for the necessity to be demonstrated by the irresistible logic of a severe epidemic. (Page 48, par. 7.)
S.-Although Mr. Chadwick's recommendations were written nineteen years ago, and the necessity for "strong and complete measures of sanitation” has been demonstrated by the outbreak of Bubonic Plagne, which has claimed some thousands of victims since 1894, the Sanitary Condition of the Colony is so defective and the measures of reform initiated by the local Government have been so inadequate that your Petitioners are compelled to memorialise you direct. Mr. Chadwick further said :-
121-I think that the foregoing facts clearly show that the health of the population is not so good as to make it presumptuous to attempt to reform time- honoured abuses; on the contrary to my mind they prove that reform is urgently required.
9. Mr. Chadwick also recommended the formation of an Improvement Fund,
in the following terms :-
180.-To effect larger improvements, which would involve the expenditure of a serious proportion of the year's reut, especially when it is a question of remedying defects in original construction, rather than those arising from defects or misusage, the Government should, on the recommendation of the sanitary authority, carry out the necessary works themselves, paying for the work out of an improvement fund set aside for the purpose, and recovering the expenditure by means of a rate on the property, repaying both principal and interest in, say, 30 years, at the end of which time it would cease. The work would be well and cheaply done, and the annual cost to the landlord would be insignificant.
In this matter nothing has ever been done, and at the meeting of the Hong- kong Sanitary Board on May 30th, 1901, Dr. Francis Clark, the Medical Officer of Health, drew attention to this omission. Dr. Clark spoke as follows :--
What the Sanitary Board must do was to importune for these sanitary reforms, which had been pointed out over and over again during these past five and twenty years. As an illustration of what he meant, he might tell the Board that Mr. Chadwick, who was sent as Sanitary Commissioner to consider the Sanitary Condition of the Colony, made the following recommendations.
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