COLONY'S WATER SHORTAGES
Yesterday's article referred to the drought and water shortage of 1902. Those who recollect the position in the Colony's last serious drought (1929) will realise how history had repeated itself when they read the following, from the Hongkong Telegraph of May 5, 1902:
"Jump into a ricksha one of these baking mornings and go along the Praya, bent on gleaning a little information regarding the methods with which the Colony is being supplied with its limited quantity of water. What do you see? To the right, to the left, in front and behind, men, women and children, of these the youngest with pots of metal and earthenware, wooden buckets, pails, kerosine tins, and jars, in fact, everything warranted to hold water, attached to their carrying poles, hurrying to and from the standpipes like bees from a hive. Arriving at the supply pipes one sees it is a case of first come first served, those appearing last on the scene taking a place behind the earlier arrivals, until at length the line of carriers grows longer and stretches far away from where the little steam engines are puffing and panting as they pump the water out of junks into the pipes. A small detachment from the Royal Welch Fusiliers (the same Battalion here to-day) is hard by for the purpose of keeping order, but the services of the men are scarcely required, so orderly are the coolies. There is no squabbling for priority, all comers admit their claim and, taking up a position in the rear, sit on their poles or buckets waiting patiently for some few minutes and then move nearer, by a few feet to the precious supply.
"Now let the ricksha convey you to Wanchai and at Queen's Road East, see how the families get their supply. Follow the water carriers up over the hill leading to Happy Valley, go with them along the parched and dusty road by the Race Course, and branch off in the direction of Tytam. Visit the rocky little nook sheltered by trees beneath which a tiny stream is feebly trickling down to where a crowd of carriers are clustered with their watering pots. Notice how they snap off a few leaves from a shrub hard by and place them in the buckets to keep the water steady, and then return with them into the searching sun; and observe how resigned they all appear to a situation which, to the Colonisers of this fair port, must be unknown even undreamed of.
"What does it all mean? Surely, that someone has blundered and that at length the time has come to impress the fact upon the minds of those responsible. Had the drought kept off a few years when the population of the Colony had become greater and spread along the higher levels, when Kowloon had extended far into the Hinterland, the water famine would indeed be keenly felt by every section of the community. But, to-day, it is very evident that the European Community has not fully realised the extent to which the native community is at present suffering. To us the time and labour expended by them on fetching water can scarcely be conceived. From dawn till sunset they wander along the hill paths peering into nullahs and crevices until at length their search is rewarded, and a trickling stream provides sufficient water for a family. Love to leave work and pay to join in the search, and not a few whose daily earnings are of the smallest, appear content to fill a bucket from the nearest stream, however contaminated it may prove.
"Certainly, many wells are about to be opened, but in all probability the authorities may re-close them after taking an analysis of the contents. Chinese appear to be most careful of what they drink and, as one of the members suggested at a recent meeting...
COLONY'S WATER SHORTAGES
Yesterday's article referred to the drought and water shortage of 1902. Those who recollect the position in the Colony's last serious drought (1929) will realise how history had repeated itself when they read the following, from the Hongkong Telegraph of May 5, 1902:
"Jump into a ricksha one of these baking mornings and go elong-the Praya, bent on gleaning a little information regarding the methods with which the Colony is being supplied with its limited quantity of water. What do you see? To the right, to the left, in front and behind, men, women and children, of these the youngest with pots of metal end earthenware, wooden buckets, palls, kerosine tins, and jærs, in fact, everything warren ted to hold water, attached to their carrying poles, hurrying to and from the standpipes like bees from a hive. Arriving at the supply pipes one sees it is a case of first come first served, those appearing last on the scene taking a place behind the earlier arrivals, until at length the line of carriers grows longer end stretches far away from where the little steam engines are puffing and penting as they pump the water out of junks into the pipes. A mell detachment from the Royal Welch Fusiliers (the same Battalion here to-day) is hard by for the purpose of keeping order, but the services of the men are scarcely required, so orderly are the coolies. There is no squabbling for priority, all comers, admit their claim and, taking up a position in the rear, sit on their poles or buckste waiting patiently for some few minutes and then move nearer, by a few feet to the precious supply.
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"Now let the ricksha convey you to Wanchai and at Queen's Road - East, see how the families get their supply. Follow the water carriers up over the hill leading to Happy Valley, go with them along the parched and dusty road by the Race Course, end branch off in the direction of Tytam. Visit the rocky little nook sheltered by trees beneath which a tiny stream is feebly trickling down to where, a arowd of cerriers are clustered with their wetering pots. Notice how they snap off a few leeves from a shrub hard by and place them in the buckets to keep the water' steady, and then return with them into the searching sun; and observe how resigned they all appear to a situation which, to the Colonisers of this fair port, must be unknown even undreamed of.
"What does it all mean? Surely, that someone hes blundered and that at length the time has come to impress the fact upon the minds of those responsible. Had the drought kept off a few years when the population of the Colony had become greater and spread along the higher levels, when Kowloon had extended far into the Hinterland, the e water famine would indeed be keenly felt by every section of the. community. But, to-day, it is very evident that the European Community has not fully realised the extent to which the native community is at present suffering. To us the time and labour ex- pended by them on fetching water can scarcely be conceived. break to sun set they wander along the hill paths peering into nullahs and crevices until at length their search is rewarded, erá a trickling stream provides sufficient water for a family. Love to leace. work and pay to join in the search, and not a few whose daily earnings are of the smallest, appear content to fill a bucket from the nearest stream, however contaminated it may prove.
From da;
Many
"Certainly, many wells are about to be opened, but in all probability the authorities may re-close them after taking an an- alysis of the contents. Chinese appear to be most careful of what they drink and, as one of the members suggested at a recent meeting
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