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In almost all the Building Bye-laws the authority is given to the Building Au- thority and the Board has none.
The following table which shows the composition of the seventeen Select Com- mittees and the work done by each during the period of seven months October 1929 to April 1930 speaks for itself. The inforniation is taken from the official papers the monthly reports to the Board which only started in October 1929,
Select Committee.
Composition.
No. of cases dealt with in the 7 months Oct. to April inclusive.
Average
cases
per
month.
1. Prevention and mitigation of epidemic, endemic, con- tagious and infectious dis-
H.S.D. & M.O.H.
Nil.
Nil
2. Lime washing
Pases.
Do.
FLS.D. & S.S.B.
196
28
52
7
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In 12 cases the Committee consists of the Chairman and one other, in two cases of the Chairman and two others, and in two cases of the Chairman and three others. In one case that of cemeteries the Select Committee is the President him-
self.
With the exception of the Select Committee on Water Closets these Committees rarely meet, all the work being carried out by correspondence which in many cases consists in the Secretary of the Board sending the file with the President's comments to the other member or members. Very rarely does the Committee as a Committee visit the premises under discussion being content with the description furnished by the Sanitary Department or the Public Works Department.
When it is understood that Committees (2) and (17) consist of the H.S.D. and M.O.H.; Committee (15) of the H.S.D. and Secretary S.B.: and C'ommittee (8) of the II.S.D), and the S.C.A. the amount of executive work done by the Sanitary Board as distinct from the Sanitary Department will be realised.
The Select Committee on Water Closets is the only one that meets regularly. It consists of the D.P.W., the M.O.H and two un-official members. All the work of visiting premises, scrutinising plans and preparing cases is done either by the staff of the D.P.W. or the staff of the M.O.H.
From the above it is obvious that the amount of executive work done by the Board as a Board is very small indeed and that for practical purposes the HSD is the executive authority.
3. Basements and under ground
rooms
4. Water Closets
D.P.W.. M.O.H. & 2
un-officials
90
YE
13
5. Offensive trades
ILS.D. & D.P.W.
13
2
6. Bake houses and laundries
H.S.D. & M.O.H.
17
2
7. Dairies
H.S.D., M.O.II. &
O.V.S.
9
8. Special food licenses
HIS.D. & S.C.A.
60
9. Aerated waters
H.S.D. & 1 un-official.
7
1
10. Wells and pools
H.S. D. & 2 un-officials.
7
1
11. Keeping cattle, swine, sheep
and goats
H.S.D. & S.S.B.
39
6
12. Animals
H.S.D. & ] un-official .
19
0.3
13. Factories
H.S.D. & S.C.A.
Nil
་་་་
Nil
14. Cemeteries
H.S.D.
...........
5
0.7
15. Exhumations
H.S.D. & S.S.B
853
122
16. Matshed latrines
ILS.D. & M.O.H
3
0.8
17. Notice of complaints
Do.
11,123
1.589
The H.S.D. who is President of the Board is Chairman of 16 of the 17 Select Committees, He is not on the Select Committee for Water Closets the Chairman of which is the Hon. Director of Public Works.
SANITARY DEPARTMENT.
The Sanitary Department which is a department composed entirely of Govern- ment Servants has a personnel of 1,610 divided into two classes, viz.; officers and
Servants.
The officers who with one exception are Europeans number 61, the servants who are all Asiatics number 1,549,
are--
The "Head of the Sanitary Department" is at present a Cadet. The Officers
a. The Medical Officers of Health (3).
b. The Veterinary Surgeons (2).
C The Sanitary Inspectors :
Chief Sanitary Inspector
]
Senior Sanitary Inspector
6
Sanitary Inspectors
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Total
53
d. The Secretaries (2).
The servants include store-keepers, overseers. foremen, engineers, artisans, motor-car drivers and coolies.
The Sanitary Board has no direct powers over the Sanitary Department but Section 8 (2) lays down that "the Head of the Sanitary Department shall give in- structions as may be necessary for carrying out and giving effect to the decisions of the Board". There is nothing limiting the Board in the matter of decisions, and, therefore, it would seem that the Board can by resolution passed at its meetings direct what the Sanitary Staff shall and shall not do and the HS.D), has no option but to put those directions into effect.
There are two Medical Officers of Health and one Chinese Assistant Medical Officer of Health. They are paid by the Medical Department but they are seconded to the Sanitary Department.
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