CO129-411 - Governor Sir May - 1914 [5-7] — Page 77

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HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

erection of the Law Courts, has recently Superintendent of the Botanical and been invalided out of the service, and Forestry Department those nearer the sea will not return to the Colony. Aneing wind-swept were not likely to grow enquiry without his presence as a witness is not possible, and in these circumstances I do not propose to ask the Committee to hold any further enquiry. I am not without hope that delays such as occurred in the case of the building referred to will not be repeated.

THE COLONIAL TREASURER second- ed, and the motion was agreed to.

THE COLONIAL SECRETARY, command of H.E. the Governor, laid the table the report of the Finance Com mitter (No. 3), and moved that it be adopted.

THE COLONIAL TREASURER econd- ed, and the motion was agreed to

The Removal of Trees from Royal Square

THE HON. MR. HEWETT in the ab- sence of the Hon. Mr. Pollock, asked the questions standing in Mr. Pollock's name,

The first two were:-

(1.) By whose orders fero certain trees in Royal Square which have been growing there for many years past, cut down on the 9th March and for what reason P

to good specimens. sented by the Director of Public Works (b) It was repre- that the trees being in the middle of the road rendered it difficult to keep the central portion of the roadway in proper repair, as it was impossible to roll the surfacing material in conjunction with that of the side portions of the road. (c) The view of Queen Victoria's Statue and of the Square as a whole, owing to the trees being in the middle of the road, was much obcured, both from Chater Road and the South side. planting at the sides of the roads in Royal The question of Square flowering trees which will not attain much size is now under considera. tion. It is not proposed to remove any more trees in the vicinity of Royal Square at present.

The Privet Shrub and Hay Fever Mr. Pollock's next question was :-

In view of the fact that the pollen from the owering privet tends to induce couching and catarrh, will the Government take stops to exter- minate the privet shrub in the vicinity of dwelling-houses in the Island of Hongkong and in Kow- loon?

THE COLONIAL SECRETARY plied:-

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(2.)-Will the Government take prompt ment that in Hongkong the flowering There is no evidence before the Govern- action to prevent the further cut privet causes what is popularly known as ting down of trees in that vicinityfhay-fever. On the other hand, thers are THE COLONIAL SECRETARY replied many other plants flowering in Hong- -His Excelleng the Governor, acting on kong, notably roses, which are well-known the advice of the Executive Council, gave to induce the affection refered to. The orders for the trees in Royal Square to Government is therefore as at present be removed There were sixteen trees advised not prepared to destro one plant altogether. Fight in Chater Road, seven which, if it induces hay-fever, i only one to the Wet of Queen Victoria's Statue of many which are credited with the same and ono to the East, and eight in Wardley result. Street, three to the North and five to the South of the Statue. The reasons which caused the Government to remove the trees were three in number :-(a) The trees were hot of a suitable kind for such an expofed spot as Royal Square. Some

wer Aleurites or Candle-nut trees and others-and those the poorer specimens- Cutis. As the result of more than ten

ars' growth only a few of them had ttained any size. In the opinion of the

The Nursing Staff at Government Civil Hospital

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Mr. Pollock's fourth question wast-

Was any written representation sent in by the Nurses the Staff of the Government Civil Hospital to the Principal Civil Medical Officer last summer upon the subject of the insufficiency in numbers of

the

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