CO129-309 - Public Offices & Others - 1901 — Page 247

To the Right Honorable

The Secretary of State

For the Colonies,

&c. &c. &C.

Sir,

C.0.

245

38006

H

RECO 14, Fourth Avenas 30 OCT 01

Hove,

Oct. 1901.

As Sanitary questions in Hong Kong are now attracting much

attention, chiefly, no doubt, on account of the annual recurrence

of the plague, I would beg leave to make some observations on

these matters, chiefly in connection with the composition and

powers of the Sanitary Board and on overcrowding. My excuse for

doing so, is that although I did not personally draw up the Public

Health Ordinance of 1887, yet I was acting Attorney General and

Member of the executive Council when the Bill was under discussion

in that body and I was entrusted with the duty of passing it through

the Legislative Council.

I am now writing from memory of what took place about fourteen years ago but I believe I am quite right in saying that that law was

a compromise and a tentative measure.

At that time legislature was urgently required

to compel connection of private drains with the Public Sewers,

back yards of

A.

B.

to provide, for the purposes of ventilation sufficient size especially in those cases where the rapid

rise

of the ground behind brought the back of the house against or

close to the hill side.

C.

To deal, if possible, with the great evil of overcrowding, and

-

D.

to confer certain powers on the Authorities in times of

epidemic.

In order to facilitate the passing of a law dealing