No_5_May_and_June__1949 — Page 65

3rd January

HONG KONG BUILDING INDUSTRY DIARY

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT AND INTERESTING EVENTS

DURING FIRST HALF OF 1949.

Requisitioning of Miramar Hotel-The requisitioning of the five-story newly built holel, the Miramar Hotel in Kimberly Road, Kowloon, owned by the Spanish Procuration, was planned by the Quartering Authority, but as a result of negotiations between Government and the hotel management, it was understood that the requisitioning was not to take place.

Construction of the building at the cost of $3,000,000.00 began ten months ago, it contained 60 rooms divided into 16 suites, with the restaurant on the ground floor. It has air- conditioning and heating equipment.

15th January

Fire Investigation-In an editorial in the "S.C.M.P." on the investigation into the Wing On Godown fire, the editor said: "It was commendably exhaustive and the Commission's recommendations cover comprehensively the requirements of public safety. As all old residents know, however, this is but another of a long series of public inquiries into disastrous fires; there have been many such corrective efforts throughout the Colony's history. To dismiss this one as probably likely to have as little result as most of its predecessors would be to belittle gratuitously a conscientious and high-level judgment. Yet it is necessary to emphasise that the conditions which produce such fires are not to be remedied by simple blame- placing, nor by counsels of perfection. They are in fact, part of the housing problem, which in turn is part of the difficult economic problem. The Colony's principal industry is Import and Export, and among the imports and exports must be dangerous goods. Obviously, the provision of adequate and appropriate storage is essential; it is should be unnecessary to store goods, and especially dangerous goods, in premises also used for residence. Equally obviously, however, as long as dangerous goods are commodities of very free trading, so long will precautions be evaded and danger persist."

Huts Destroyed by Fire About a thousand people were rendered homeless and three children killed in two fires which broke out to-day.

The Arst resulted in over 300 huts and 2 four-storied buildings being destroyed at Po Hing Fong, and the other occurred at Temple Street, Yaumati, causing the death of three children,

The Po Hing Fong fire started shortly before 7 p.m. and lasted almost two hours. Fanned by a strong north-easterly wind, the conflagration, originating from a hut, spread rapidly and ignited two blocks of four-story buildings which were burned through to the roofs.

The area of the fire measured about 50 yards in radius of layers of ground. It is bounded by the Tai Ping Shan Street in the north and lower level and Po Hing Fong Street on the south and higher level.

The fire started at the corner of Tai Ping Shan Street and about 100 huts were razed to the ground before the arrival of the Fire Brigade.

The Tung Wah Hospital, with its many hundreds of in-patients, had a narrow escape, thanks to the timely preven- tive measures taken by its staff,

The fire resulting in the death of three children occurred at 203-205 Temple Street, Yaumati, about 9 p.m. According to an eye-witness, the fire started at No. 203, occupied by the Ping Kee furniture shop, and as the floors and stairways were made of wood, it soon spread to No. 205, the Hop Kee Cafe, and blocked the stairway leading to all the upper floors of both houses.

18th January

Removal of Hong Kong Landmark-Work on removing the 53-year old stone pedestal, formerly occupied by the statue of Queen Victoria, at Statue Square, began to-day. The waterfront landmark is being removed to improve traffic con- ditions. An unconfirmed report said that the pedestal is to be re-erected at the Botanical Gardens.

Queen Victoria's statue was erected by public subscriptions in 1896. It was made in London in 1890 by a sculptor, M. Racci, and cast in the London foundry of H. Young & Co.

The statue was removed by the Japanese during the war. After liberation, it was found in a very badly damaged condition at Sakurajima, Osaka, in 1946, together with the statue of Sir Thomas Jackson and the two bronze lions of the Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation.

The statue was returned to Hong Kong in October 1946. It was officially stated recently that when the missing pieces have been replaced, a suitable site for the re-erection of the statue will be considered.

27th January

The Squatter Colonies-From the "China Mail" editorial: "A series of disastrous fires in hut settlements in different parts of the Colony are sufficiently fresh in the public mind to earn for the Government ready endorsement of its pro- gramme for eliminating squatter colonies in congested areas. Not all of those now living under the generally wretched and unhealthy conditions to be found in these settlements will be accommodated under the scheme. The main purpose of the four camps proposed is to provide temporary dwelling sites for persons who are, or are likely, to prove worthy citizens of the Colony and can be depended upon to subsist upon their own resources. The Government's contribution to their wel- fare wil, in fact, be limited, very largely, to the provision of land upon which they can build without fear of eviction, and the cost of maintaining a Sanitary Department foreman and social welfare worker in each camp. As the official state- ment indicates, there is no intention of embarking upon pro- jects which could and would involve a heavy charge upon the community for the benefit of persons whose chief claim to attention reposes in the menace they offer to the health of other residents in their immediate viciinty."

Judgment Reserved in Tepancy Case Judgment was reserved in a Tenancy Tribunal case brought by Humphreys Estate & Finance Co., Ltd., for eviction of the occupants of No. 4 Minden Avenue, Kowloon.

The application stated that No. 4 Minden Avenue was let on a monthly tenancy to Mrs. Tam Lai-hing on condition of no sub-letting or assignment without consent in writing. It was alleged that Mrs. Tam was no longer residing in the premises but had sub-let, assigned or otherwise transferred the tenancy. Applicants therefore asked for an eviction order under Sections 18(d) and 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Ordinance 1947.

2nd February

Five Story Building for Bank of China-A five-story building, instead of the originally planned 17-story structure, will be constructed by the Bank of China on its $3,745,000 piece of land next to the Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation. The foundations of the building will, however, be built for a 17-story block. If necessary the additional 12 floors will be added later.

When completed, the building will house the Bank on the ground floors. The upper floors will be used for offices. A certain percentage of the offices on the upper floors will be hired out to the Hong Kong Government. This was one of the conditions of the sale.

3rd February

Clearance of Squatters-The Health Department's cam- paign to clear squatters from their pitches has begun. The Island and Kowloon has been divided into zones. In each zone there is a known number of squatters' huts. In accordance with the official policy announced on 26th January, these zones will be systematically cleared.

Work on the area bounded by Hennessy, Johnston and O'Brien Roads in Wanchai started on Wednesday morning. Employees of the Health Department, under the supervision of senior officials, and supported by a contingent of Police, dis- mantled structures on roof tops. Fifty-five huts were razed, representing a roof top population of about 250 persons.

6th February

Land Racket Shows Signs of Reviving-A racket, which was both rampant and lucrative before the Pacific War, showed signs of reviving in Kowloon recently but was nipped in the bud by Mr. J. T. Wakefield, District Officer South, and Mr. W. C. Simpson, Land Bailiff.

In doing so, Mr. Wakefield created a precedent by with- drawing lots of Crown Land, advertised as to be sold by public auction on December 24 last, on the very day of the sale. This step was taken, it appears, when information was regeived by the District Commissioner's office that опе applicant for four lots to be used for guinea grass growing purposes had been approached by several interested parties before the auction. He was given to understand that he would be permitted to purchase the land, without opposition, provided that he agreed to have them re-auctioned privately after the sale.

This racket of cheating the Government out of revenue, by permitting the land to be sold at upset prices and then re-selling at higher sums, was most prevalent in 1940 and 1941. One method of working it was to approach the applicant for a piece of land and tell him that, for a certain considera- tion, no bid would be offered by the person who made the contact.

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