633409-1898-Report-of-the-Insanitary-Properties-Commission — Page 3

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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 30ru JULY, 1898.

(v). As the improvements will be carried out at the cost of the owners of the properties, no capital will be required for resumption and improvements except in those cases where the making of such improvements may result in absorbing so much of the land as to leave the remainder so small or of such a form as to yield but poor return to the owner. In such cases it may become necessary for the Crown to resume; but such cases we are informed, on the authority of the Diretor of Public Works, will be extremely rare.

16. In support of the necessity for the above recommendations we would beg a careful reference to the following reports in which the urgent attention of the Government has been for many years and is again earnestly directed to the great depth of the bulk of the Chinese houses as compared with their width to the want of open space in the rear thereof, and to the consequent serions defects in the lighting and ventilation of such buildings. We desire to call special attention to Mr. Chadwick's reports of 1882 and 1890 and to the plans and drawings contained in the former.

(i) The Colonial Surgeon's reports dated Hongkong, 15th April, 1874, and 5th April, 1875, ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 25th August, 1881.

(ii) Mr. Osbert Chadwick's report on the Sanitary Condition of Hongkong presented to both Houses of Parliament in August, 1882, more particularly paras. 149-154. Mr. Chadwick's reports dated 1st July, 1890.

(iii) The report of the Permanent Committee of the Sanitary Board dated 29th June, 1894.

(iv) The reports of the Committee on Housing the Chinese dated Hongkong, 28th July, and 13th August, 1894.

(v) The Colonial Surgeon's letter dated Hongkong 2nd March, 1895, forwarding to Government the letter and report of the Medical Officer in charge of Epidemic Hospital and Acting Superintendent of Government Civil Hospital, &c., on the Epidemic of Bubonic Plague dated Hongkong 1st March, 1895.--(the letter in question and paras. 149- 153 of Mr. Chadwick's report of 1882 will be found in Appendices Nos. 14 and 14(a));

(vi) The report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1896; and (vii) The tabulated statement of the Medical Officer of Health (Appendix No. 12 ) which shews that no more than about 18% of the Chinese dwellings in the City of Victoria can be regarded as "in a fairly good sanitary condition.”

C. P. CHATER.

T. JACKSON.

T. H. WHITEHEAD. | Sees further recommend- N. J. EDE.

ations at foot hereof.

I agree with the above Report, with the exception that I am of opinion that para- graph 7 thereof should read as follows:

7.—In houses fronting on narrow lanes less than 15 feet in width, no cubicles should be allowed on any floor.

J. H. STEWART LOCKHART,

Chairman,

Note.--Paragraph 7 : We are of opinion that this should read as follows:

7.- In houses fronting on narrow lanes less than 15 feet in width, no cubicles whatever should be allowed on any floor, and in houses fronting on lanes and streets of over that width no cubicles should be allowed on the ground floor without the permission of the Sanitary Board.

To paragraph 13 we desire to add :-

We are further of opinion that no cubicles erected or to be re-erected in future shall be placed nearer than six feet to any window the area of which is included in calculating the required window area of one-tenth of the flour area.

We also desire to add the following:-

17.-Upon mature consideration we strongly recommend that the further erection of dwelling-houses of a greater depth than 30 feet, which cannot be ventilated and lighted on each floor from the back as well as from the front, should be absolutely prohibited and such ventilation should be provided by means of an open space, or yard, of an area not less than one-eighth of the area occupied by the building.

HONGKONG, 9th March, 1898.

T. H. WHITEHEAD. N. J. EDE.