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Scavenging and refuse disposal.
Two hundred and fifty-four tons of refuse are collected daily and removed to the various refuse depots. The staff for scavenging consists of 4 Sanitary Inspec- tors, 60 Foremen and 903 Coolies-that for refuse disposal includes 1 Inspector, 8 Foremen and 131 barge men. The refuse is collected by motor vans. The method
of disposal is mostly that of sea dumping, the material being carried by barges to a spot where the currents direct away from the Colony. Some of the refuse is used for reclamation of low lying areas. On the whole both the collection and disposal of re- fuse is well carried out.
Collection and disposal of night-soil.
The collection and disposal of night-soil is carried out partly by the bucket system, partly by water carriage.
Regarding the bucket system-arrangements are made with a Contractor for the removal and disposal of excrement under conditions laid down by the Sanitary Board. Human night-soil is a valuable commodity in China where it is used for fer- tilizing the fields, and there is no difficulty in securing Contractors who will pay con- siderable sums for the sole right of removal. Under a Contract made in January. 1928, the Contractor pays $12,120.00 per annum to revenue for the contracts for Victoria and Kowloon. The excrement is removed by night from the latrines to a special fleet of junks which convey it up river to China where it is used as manure for the mulberry trees which feed the silk worms
Owing to the limitations of the water supply it is necessary to restrict the num- ber of water closets served by the public mains. Where a sufficiency of water can be obtained from other sources, such as wells or nullahs, water closets are allowed With regard to effluents some enter the public sewers direct, others pass to biological tank systems to be treated before final discharge.
The Sanitary Board through its Select Committee on Water Closets advises Government regarding the installation of water closets. The Public Works Depart- ment has charge of the sewerage system.
The latrine accommodation in many of the older houses is very inadequate, the latrines being situated on the roof. It is not uncommon for families occupying cubicles to have private commodes which are kept in the cubicles. There are a num- ber of public latrines scattered throughout the city.
Considering the complexity of the problem the night-soil collection and dis- posal system is well carried out.
Domestic Sanitation.
Every domestic building or part of a building occupied by the members of more than one family must unless specially exempted by the Sanitary Board be cleans- ed and lime-washed throughout by the owner, to the satisfaction of the Board not less than once in every year.
It is the duty of the occupier of any domestic building to cause such building
to be kept in a cleanly and wholesome condition.
In Hong Kong there are 12,536 Chinese houses with 40,906 floors; in Kow- loon there are 7,960 houses and 22,453 floors. During the year 1929, 97,692 floors in Hong Kong and 55,070 floors in Kowloon were cleansed.
During the cleansing process all the furniture is moved and the walls and floors are washed down with kerosene oil emulsion which not only cleanses but kills insects. In some cases the work is carried out by the Sanitary staff; in others the occupants are permitted to do the work under the supervision of the inspecting staff.
On the average each Inspector has 3,000 floors to cleanse. If these be done twice a year the number of floors for each day is 24--say 8 houses. While the work
is in progress opportunity is taken to note any defects in the fabric or any trans- gression of the bye-laws for further action. In this work the Inspectors are assisted by the Interpreters. The Coolie Staff engaged number 168,
Work in connection with house cleansing occupies most of the time of the Dis- trict Inspectors and there is little left for any other duty.
Considering each Inspector has to supervise a district containing anything from 30,000 to 50,000 inhabitants most of whom are ignorant of the rudiments of sanita- tion, the thoroughness of the cleansing operations is remarkable.
The Promotion of sunitution in places of assembly such as Common Lodging Houses, Boarding Houses, Hotels, Restaurants, Theatres, etc.
Under the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance "Common Lodging House" includes any house or part thereof where male persons of the labouring artizen or me- chanical classes, not members of the same family, to the number of 10 or upwards are housed, but does not include a house or other permanent structure where shop- men or domestic servants are housed by their employers.
The Sanitary Board has power to make bye-laws for the licensing, regulation and sanitary maintenance of lodging houses. Bye-law 7-made under this Ordinance -makes the Secretary of Chinese Affairs the licensing authority
Under the Boarding House Ordinance of 1917--the term Boarding House in- cludes Common Lodging Houses and Hotels. Under this Ordinance the $.C.A is the licensing authority and the Sanitary Department has powers of entry for inspection.
Altogether there are some 700 houses under license by the Secretary of Chin- ese Affairs. The Sanitary Inspectors have little time for the inspection of Common Lodging Houses and in practice they are not frequently visited. On the whole they are not unsatisfactory.
Hotels and Restaurants.
The principal hotels and restaurants are maintained in a sanitary condition but in many of the lower class eating houses the standard of cleanliness is far from satis- factory. Apart from revenue the principal reason for licensing is the maintenance of sanitary conditions. Licenses are seldom cancelled.
Promotion of Sanitation in Factories ---Workshops.
Practically nothing is done in this line and the law is more or less a dead let- ter. The conditions existing in many of the factories and workshops leave much to be desired.
Measures for ensuring cleanliness in foods.
In measures for ensuring cleanliness in foods Hong Kong is away behind the times and the standards maintained considerably below those considered the mini- mum for up-to-date cities.
Markets. The markets are overcrowded, badly ventilated and badly kept and compare unfavourably with similar institutions in up-to-date cities elsewhere. The practice of unloading fish from lorries by throwing them on to the dirty road in front of the Central Market is most unhygienic.
Bake-houses.-There are 212 bake-houses licensed in the Colony. In a recent tour of inspection made by the D.MSS. in company with the M.O.H. and C.S T. a number of these establishments were found to be in a dirty and untidy condition and in their then existing state unworthy of licences.
Dairies --In this Colony the term dairy includes a milk-shop. There are al- together 52 licensed dairies. In 1929 only 49 samples of milk were submitted for examination and the inference is that the milk trade is not supervised as it should be.
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