640963-1895-Ordinance-No-15-of-1894-Assented-to — Page 2

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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 5TH JANUARY, 1895.

Prohibition

after 1st July, 1895, of Inhabitation of domestic

buildings until imper- meable floors provided.

Injuries to impermeable material over ground surface.

Repeal. Cellars, etc.

Repeal.

Mezzanine floors.

No mezzanine floors in new houses.

Repeal.

Windows in

rooms.

4. From and after the 1st day of July, 1895, it shall not be lawful for any person, except a caretaker only, to live in or occupy or to suffer or permit any other person, except such caretaker, to live in or occupy any domestic building including those in the 2nd schedule hereto unless--

(a) The ground surface of such building and of every cook house, latrine, or open surface connected therewith, such as back yards, court yards or other spaces on which slops may be thrown or from which foul waters flow, shall have been properly covered over with a layer of some impervious material to the satisfaction of the Sanitary Board, or

(b) The Sanitary Board shall have extended the period and granted permission in writing to occupy any such domestic building and to complete the covering over the ground surface of any such building and of every cook house, latrine, or open surface connected therewith, such as back yards, court yards or other spaces on which slops may be thrown or from which foul waters flow, after the 1st day of July, 1895. Provided always that this section shall not apply to any domestic building, cook house, latrine, privy or back yard which has been paved to the satisfaction of the Sanitary Board in accordance with any existing law or bye-law and which is so maintained.

5. Where the ground surface of any domestic building, or of any cookhouse, latrine, or open surface connected therewith, such as back yards, court yards, or other spaces on which slops may be thrown or from which foul waters flow, is or has been paved or covered over with impervious material to the satisfaction of the Sanitary Board, and such material has been subsequently broken, excavated or other- wise disturbed the landlord or owner shall make good the same to the satisfaction of the Sanitary Board upon the completion of any work for the execution of which the same has been broken or otherwise disturbed, or within seven days from the receipt by him of written notice from the Board so to do, and in default thereof he shall be liable on summary conviction before a Magistrate to a penalty not exceeding $25 for each offence and to a further penalty not exceeding $10 for each day after such conviction during which such offence continues.

6. Section 59 of Ordinance 24 of 1887 is hereby repealed, and in lieu thereof the following section is substituted :-

On and after the 1st day of April, 1895, it shall not be lawful, without the written permission of the Sanitary Board, to live in, occupy or use, or to let or sublet, or to suffer or permit to be used for habitation or for occupation as a shop, any cellar, vault, underground room, basement or room any side of which abuts on or against the earth or soil.

7. Section 24 of Ordinance 15 of 1889 is hereby repealed, and in lieu thereof the following section is substituted :---

(1) It shall not be lawful to construct, put up, continue or maintain in any room of any domestic building now or hereafter erected or in course of erection any mezzanine floor, storey or cockloft where such room is partitioned or divided off into separate compartments without the permission in writing of the Sanitary Board.

(2) It shall not be lawful to construct, put up, cou- tinue or maintain in any room of any domestic building hereafter erected any mezzanine floor, storey or cockloft whatsoever except where such room is situated on the ground floor and is used as a shop or workshop, in which case the written permission of the Sanitary Board must be first obtained, and any conditions imposed in such per- mission must be complied with.

8. Section 45 of Ordinance 15 of 1889 is hereby repealed, and in lieu thereof the following section is substituted :---

(a) Every person erecting a new building shall provide every habitable room therein with one window, at least, opening directly into the external air, and he shall cause the total area of such window or windows, clear of the window frame, to be at least one-tenth of the floor area of every such room.