1932-08-19 — Page 6

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HONG KONG DAILY PRESS. FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 1932.

DEBATE ON THE RIDER MAIN SYSTEM

(CONTINUED FROM · PAGE'¿) '

but

to prove that the system has fail-ted by several speakers at the hus 110 rider - mains; ed of that object. It stands to meeting that it was exceedingly those who have chosen 10 reason that a system which is sub- difficult for employers to control remain or to move into the rider ject, on the rider-main system is, effectively their servants in the main districts, must have good to geveto restrictions for long use of water, and that servants rensana far so doing. Those FOL periods at a time, almost annual- were more inclined to be extrava-sons are that they have to be near ly, ennnot but conserve materially gant when they did not have to their work or that they cannot af our water supply.

carry the water from the street ford the expense of a metered sup themselves.

It is very well to say, as it has been said by some, that there is bound to be waste in a system which supplies water free, for people are npt to be careless in the use of a thing for which they | have not to The matter, pay. however, is too important to the tons of thousands of the poorer classes for it to be disposed of with a time-worn dictum. Incon- trovertible facts are necessary,

What are

the facts that the Government has produced? To strengthen bis assertion that the rider-main rystens was wastoful,

ply. Thus by the necessity of Here, I may draw attention to economic pressure these people have an important remark of Mr. Osbert perforee to submit to the periodical Chadwick, the expert, sent out by inconvenience and hardship, of hav- the Secretary of State for the ing to obtain water from the street- Colonies to study and report on fountains, with the consoling the water problems of the Colony thought that they would have a in 1902. That remark is contained direct house-supply, for at least in para, 21 of Sessional Paper No. ¦ part of, the year. 4 and is this: "I maintain that, the meter system is the only sye fem of rating, which is thoroughly efficient and equitable." It is significant that Mr. Chadwick used the word "rating" and did not say that the meter system was the the Hon. Colonial Secretary in-most ecciomical. formed us that a comparison had heon mide by the Government of the water consumption on the Island and in Kowloon, which re- vented the fact that the former was consistently some 30 per cent.. (now Sir Murchison), Fletcher Higher per head; and he went on informed the Hon. Sir Shouson

to Bay

K. M. A.

QERAMIC & REFRACTORY PRODUCT.

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Ask for cur lilustrated Catalogue--Compare our Prices and Inspect our wide Hange of Samples THE KAILAN MINING ADMINISTRATION DODWELL & 00., LTD., Agents, Hong Kong

Kai Fong, Several mon have put to me what

name are cff-set the hardship and inconthe

of the seemed to them a pertinent ques-venience which the people have had which benr several hundred tin. They solently asked: "Kow-to undorgo, almost annually, dur- shops of firms and shops. ̈ Never in loom has no eider mains; why should ing that same period by reason of our comparatively long careers as Hong Kong have them ?" I offered restrictions of varying severity hav-public men have we received se them a counter-quary. "Becauseing been imposed on them, and the many letters, couched in such strong Smith has not a house, should amount of water which such re-torms on any one subject. It is Jones, who has one to which be strictions have anved to the general inaintained by many that the rider. The proceedings of the meeting has a perfect title, be deprived of public. of June 22, 1023, were reported to it Further arguments are un the Governor of that time. Sir Ed- necessary. ward Stubbs; and a few days later) the Colonial Secretary, Mr. A. G.

Maney's Worth.

I have also heard it contended that, at any rate, the people have

that "this comparison Chow and me that the proposal had their money's worth in the use made it impossible to avoid the would be dropped, and that he ad- further conclusion that the ridervised the people in the rider-main main system could not be absolved districts to apply for meters which from the chargo of wastefulness." would be freely granted. We say that that conclusion, 'is † founded on wrong premises. It has been pointed out to us that in making the comparison, the Goverument did not take into an

during business hours to pursue their vocations, na well as to the even larger number of visitors from the New Territories and Cheung Chau, from Canton and Macao, and from other adjacement porta..

own

Argument of Refutation.

t

Number of Meters Increased.

and mintenance of the rider-mains

malu system was introduced in the nature of a bargain between the Government and the people, for the people had to pay the cost of lay ing the mains with the consent of the Government. Now, one party to that bargain desires to abrogate it and has, by its action, practically abrogated it, while the other pre- fers the bargain to stand.

No Warning.

For the various reasons I have given, the people in the rider main districts cannot see the necessity or justice of the Government's pro- posal We have received strong re- presentations, urging the retention of the system, from various in stitutions, including the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, the Tung Wah Hospital Committec, thi Hong Kong and Kowloon Property

I readily accent the Government's Owners Association, the Sugar explanation. that Sir Cecil Merchants Association, the Chinese Clementi's undertaking not Medical Association, the Chinese abolish the system without giving Engineers Association, the Pothis Council an opportunity to dia.

addressed to them iz

1

1

to

have begun the work of abolition without giving the people any warn- ing. It seems to us to be imme- terial whether an undertaking to (Continued on Page. 7.)

GIVEN FREE

of the rider maius. for 2 years, having paid only 8202,000 for lay ing the mains, and not having been called upon by the Government to pay for their maintenance. It should be pointed out that the question of upkeep never formed We thought at the time that, by part of the scheme, for at a meet- following the Government's advice,ing of the Legislative Council held count the considerable quantity of the matter would end there. That on the 17th September, 1003, the vick Commercial Association, the cuss the question, was overlooked. Hon. Colonial Secretary said that water supplied by. Hong Kong to that advice has been largely fol- after the first cost was paid by the Chao Chow Residents Association Still, it is very unfortunate that the Inege number of Kowloon re.lowed can be seen in the steadily owners "there would be no further and the Hong Kong Coolies Guild, in a matter of such importance to sidents, who come over hero daily increasing number of meters that charge to them for the supervision as well as from hundreds of in- the people, the Government should have beni applied for and installed which would be included in the gendividuals. In addition to these we since 1923. At this very moment,eral expenditure of the Colony. have received from the Chinese according to the reply given by the In regard to the free use of water General Chamber of Commerce a Hon. Director of Public Works to kerel that against this privilege letter

for 26 years, it should be remem- my question put at the meeting of this Council on August 4, 2,100 me- ters have been applied for but not yet installed in the rider-main dis- However, wo do not entirely tricts. But for the difficulties rely upon this fact, important which the people have, until quita though it is, to show the unfair.recently, experienced in obtaining ness of the comparison. The Gov. meters-a fact borne out hy the ernment itself has only a few days 2,100 applications still awaiting at ago, and unintentionally, furnished tention-more applications would an argument in refutation of its have been made for them.

inference, In last week's Now the Government has revived Press were published the figures of the question-in fact, has actually action, without having the Colony's water supply for the taken som

produced more arguments to jus month of July. These figures showify it, except that the large num- that the consumption in the City ber of meters that have been appli- and Hill District during the month ed for in recent years has made it of July was 344.36 million gallons; necesary to make the change, for, according to the Hon. Colonial Se and this, on an estimated popula-cretary, each new meter tended to tion of 383,500, works out at 20 destroy the balance of the 1900 ar- gallons per head per day. The rangement." It would seem from consumption 1 Kowloon WAH 177

this that the adoption of the ad- mikon gallons, which works out as vice of the Government of 1023 is 18.0 gallons per head per day, on now having an opposite effect to An estimated population of 302,230, what was intended.

ne comparison does "catablish the

The views of the present Govern- act that the consumption in Hong ment on this important question Kong is considerably higher-nre alsó at variance with those of about ba per cent. higher-ihan | Mr. Osbert Chadwick.

In yara that in Kowloon; but how are we graph 20 of Semional Paper No. to account for this vast difference? 4 certain remarks of Mr. Chadwick Whatever the causes, the rider on the rider-main system are quot- mains were not one of them, for od. They are these: "Its effect during the whole of July they will be three-fold. Firstly, it will were completely closed! This, mitigate the evils of the intermit thea, demolishes the point, oftent system; and, secondly, "it will which the Government and others be a permanent improvement, inde- have made so much, that the much as it will facilitate the detec higher consumption on the Islandtion of waste. Thirdly, it will should be inid at the door of the greatly facilitate the voluntary in- rider main users.

troduction of motors. These re- Now, the Government is pro- marks, and the debates in Hansard posing to replace the rider main | of 1903, give us the impression, if system with the principle of com- dot conviction, that the rider main pulsory meterage, a principle the system which was to be a economical quality of which haa

manent" arrangement, was to be by no means been demonstrated. allowed to abolish itself by the It may not be known to some gradual installation of meters. honourable members that in 1923 the Government contemplated & similar change, with only this difference, that water was to be charged for from the first gallon consumped.

Test Cases..

per-

Hardships in the Four, Many people in the rider-muin districts have had meters installed and many more will apply for them, because they find the meter system so much more convenient than the rider-main system which is subject At a meeting of leading and re- to periodical restrictions, entailing presentative members of the Chi- much hardship on the poor. From nese community, numbering about the point of view of minimising 40, convened by the Secretary for that hardship, the proposal of the Chinese Affairs and held in his Government has everything to re- office on June 22, 1923, the ques. I commend it; but the poor them- tion was exhaustively discussed,olves desire no change. What is In order to justify the proposal of the reason? Thousands of the re- the Government to make a chargesidents in the rider main districts from the first gallon used, the are of the working class who can- Hon. Secretary for Chinese Affairs not afford to pay any charge for informed the meeting that certain excess consumption of water when test meterings made in the year they find it already difficult-to-oko 1921-22 in 0 houses chosen at ran- out a bare "existence. This is a dom, had rovealed considerable hard fact which cannot be ignor- waste. This test conclusively ed. It is true that many people proves that metering doce not con of this class have moved over to duce to economy. It was submit the Kowloon Peninsula which

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