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worked the figures on the law of average. Your Excellency very kindly but firmly dis- agreed on the question of the unit. I have ascertained the unit in Great Britain, but I have not been able to ascertain it here, It can, however, make but little difference whether the nuit as shown by the census return or the unit of the family is used so long as the same unit is made use of throughout. A point. I would like to men- tion is the question of our geographical position. It is one of those expressions which implies so much, but which may mean so much more or so much less. I have tried to grasp it, but it eludes my mental grasp. Even supposing wecould agree as to the value of our geographical position, we would not look for violent fluctuations in that value in normal times in relation to revenue, and yet we are now asked to pay one-third of the entire cost of the garrison while the Colony's average annual payment over the past 47 years was but 20% of the cost. It would seem to me that some explanation of this difference might be made.
The resolution was then put to the meet- ing, and the voting was as follows:----
Ayes: Hun. Mr. Ross, Flon. Mr. Ede, Hon. Mr. Hewett, Hou. Mr. Pollock, Hon. Mr. Wei Yuk, Hon. Dr. Ho Kai.
HIS EXCELLENCY Have it.
The
"Noes"
|
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL seconded, and the notion was agreed to.
Six HENRY BERKELEY, K.C., then He said: May it addressed the Council. please your Excellency,-By your Excellen- cy's permission I appear before this Com- mittee on behalf of certain manufacturers- and importers of the article of trade known as condeused skimmed milk to lay before the Committee certain reasons which we respectfully submit should lead the Com- mittee to decline to pass the second clause in the Bill as drafted. The clause as drafted contains these words: "This milk should not be used for feeding children under one year of age." These words should be deleted from the Bill, or other words should be added which I will later submit to the Sir, I say these words should be Council. deleted because it is unnecessary to put them The words can only import to in the Bill. anyone who reads them that to use condensed skimmed milk in any shape for the feeding of children under one year of age is to endan- ger the life or at least the health of the child thus fed. Now, Sir, there is no evidence before the Committee, and it is not possible to jace any evidence for the consideration of the Committee, that would warraut the insertion in the Bill of any words bearing that meaning. Before I pass to the grounds which I wish to lay before the Committee I desire to draw attention to the objects and reasons which were appended to the Bill as
Noes The Captain Superintendent of Police, the Registrar-General, the Director of Public Works, the Colonial Treasurer, the Attorney-General, the Colonial Secret originally stood. It was stated that such tary and the Officer Commanding the legislation has been in use at Hooie. That, Troops.
of course, was wrong, and the Attorney- General, in explaining the Bill, set that I intend to right before the Council. emphasize the fact that the legislation which this Council is asked to pass with regard to this article of trade is legislation which, though it has been urged upou His Majesty's Government from time to time by the persons interested in rival manufactures and by medical and other experts, has nevertheless never been adopted by the Home Government. It is therefore a matter for the most careful and gravest considera- tion on the part of the Comunittee, whether it would be introduced into this Colony, with respect to which the Imperial Govern ment had declined to take any action. I do not know whether any members of the Committee have ever seen any of the tins in which the condensed skimmed milk is sold,
THE
Food and Drugs Ordinance
ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved that the Council go in to Committee on the Bill entitled, "An Ordinance to amend the Sale of Food and Drugs Ordinance, 1896."
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY second- ed, and the motion was agreed to.
HON. MR. POLLOCK-I understand that certain dealers in condensed skimmed milk desire to be represented by Counsel, and I beg to formally move that leave be given for Counsel to be heard.
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but I think they should have an opportunity with, would, of course, reject that against of looking at them. I will produce several which he was warned in favour of that tins of different brands, and I would ask which had no warning attached to it. It is the Committee to look particularly at the the last intention of Council to enter upon labels, so that any misapprehension which a policy of protection. The Council has no might exist in the minds of any of the Com- desire whatever to protect any one trade or mittee would be removed, as to the labels industry against another. However, it is not being misleading to the general public. a question of what the Council intends, Your Excellency will find, on examination but what the effect of the legislation will The intention is foreign
of the tins, that every tin is labelled clearly be if passed. and distinctly. This is the Volunteer to the point. The question is, what will Brand. There are other brands. That the effect be if the Bill passes? Of course brand to which I draw your attention has it I am quite willing to admit at once that stated clearly and distinctly that it is though the point is one of importance, it ia machine-skimmed milk, and that statement not the one which I intend to make. The appears in English and in Chinese. Now that point I intend to make is this, that it has to is the only provision that is required in
be shown before the Council is justified in England, the printing on the label of the passing the Bill, which must affect an in- contents of the tin. I ask the Committee portant industry adversely, that there is a to note the fact, because it was of vital necessity for the legislation contemplated. importance in doing justice to the persons I submit to you, ir, that the burden of whom I represent that they complied in proving that lies upon those who have every particular with the requirements of advanced the assertion that it is.
It is not the law in Eugland. On the tins there is the for me to prove a negative, but I think I statement that the article contained therein shall be able to discharge even that heavy is machine made. That is all that the Act burdeu and to show you that the weight of requires. We therefore submit that we are authority is against the assertion that it is entitled to be beard favourably when we dangerous to the health and lives of children oppose the introduction of any further pro- under one year of age to feed them onder vision such as that which is now proposed. any circumstances upou condensed skimmed I submit, Sir, that the words "This milk milk. I take the higher ground that the should not be used for feeding children milk, ou the weight of authority, is not under one year of age should not he only not injurious, but it is a valuable food; inserted in the Bill. Such a provision is that it contains all the properties of whole not necessary, inasmuch as the contents, milk, except fat in some percentage. condenser skimmed milk, are not injurious contains fat, but not the same percentage as food for infants, while the words import as whole milk. It contains material which that it is so under all and any circumstances. is bone-forming, flesh-forming and muscle- This, it seems to me, is the real point. Has forming. In other words, it contains all it been established before this Committee these elements of nutrition which are that the use of akimmed milk is injurious, necessary to the feeding of infants, though so injurious to the life and health of the one of these elements, the fatty element, is child that it is necessary to protect it from contained in less quantity than in whole its use in any circumstances? If not, then wilk. Now when the Bill was last before you should not put these words in, because the Council for the second reading au they mean that and nothing else. There honourable member of the Committee drew are no words of qualification in the Bill. It attention to what he called a noteworthy says this milk should not be used for feed- fact, that an objection to this was that it ing children under one year of age. There had not been introduced into the legislature is no limitation, no qualification. But, Sir, of England. The honourable member who while the provision proposed in the Bill is represents the Justices of the Peace, on May not necessary for the protection of the infant, 18th, showed why he regarded that as a it will have the effect of protecting a rival noteworthy fact, because he pointed out industry, that of condensed skimmed milk, that at Home they were very strict in their under the ban of a disparaging label. Any tests and ideas in these matters, but, never- persons taking the tins and seeing onetheless, the Home Government had not without the words of warning and the other adopted the legislation that it was propos-
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