Sessional_Paper_1895 — Page 389

385

No. 26

95

HONGKONG.

SANITARY SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1894.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor.

SANITARY BOARD ROOM, HONGKONG, 31st March, 1895.

GENTLEMEN,I have the honour to submit this the sixth Annual Report concerning the work done by the Sanitary Department during the year 1894.

DRAINAGE WORKS.

In addition to the work carried out by property owners of their own initiative a considerable number of houses, which were found on inspection to be in an insanitary condition, have been re- drained at the request of the Board. I append a tabular statement (A) showing--

1. The locality in which the houses so found to be insanitary are situated.

2. The number of houses so found in each such locality.

3. The houses so found for which plans for their re-drainage have been submitted. 4. The houses so found at which the work of re-drainage has been completed.

It is satisfactory to note that steady progress is being made in the re-drainage of Victoria. When the general inspection of all the house drains in the city, which began in December, is completed; and if the owners of such houses as are defectively drained are compelled to execute the work of re-draining their insanitary properties within a reasonable time, a much needed improvement in the sanitary condition of the town will be the result.

A considerable number of complaints regarding the choking of the new pipe drains continue to come in. In almost every instance the choking of the drain is caused by its misuse through gross carelessness on the part of servants. Very frequently the gratings over the inlets to the waste-pipes and drains are either removed or so destroyed as to be of very little use in keeping solids of any size out of the drains. I am quite satisfied that in a number of cases the choking of the drains is done maliciously either out of spite to the landlord or to the Board. To some Chinese minds such malicious action seems to give infinite pleasure, while from their point of view it goes a long way to prove their silly contention that a water-tight house drain is not suited to their manner of living. With the old form of blue brick drain such blockage simply convertel the drain into an elongated porous cess-pool from which the sewage soaked into the surrounding ground on which the dwelling stood. The evil results to the public health, which are almost certain to arise from such sewage polluted foundations, are well known and require no comment.

A few householders actually carefully seal the fresh air inlet to the house drains by fitting a piece of white iron under the gratings. However, when the Inspectors point out the folly of such action and explain the object of the inlet, in most cases the tin-plate is removed and is not again put on. MARKETS AND SLAUGHTER-HOUSES.

The fine new Slaughter-house at Kennedytown was ready for occupation at the end of the year, but it was deemed expedient to allow the contractor for 1894 to finish his contract in the old Slaughter- house and get the contractor for 1895 to begin in the new Slaughter-house; and this was done.

The new market for sheep and swine was practically completed by the end of the year, but it is not yet occupied. The completion of this market will enable the Board to abolish the very insanitary places in which sheep and swine have so long been housed for sale in the western district of Victoria. This will not only be a decided sanitary improvement but it will tend greatly to alleviate the cruel treatment to which both sheep and swine have been so long subjected while being kept for sale in those so-called sheep and swine pens.

The splendid new Central Market is approaching completion, and will soon be ready for occupation. 21 sheds capable of housing 699 head of cattle, 3 sheds capable of housing 137 head of goats, and 510 pens capable of housing 3.542 head of swine were duly licensed during the year. So far as the housing of cattle and goats is concerned things are in the main in a satisfactory state, but there is still a good deal of work to be done before the same can be said of the housing of swine although steady progress is being made.

In February an outbreak of pleuro-pneumonia occurred among the herd of cattle at the Dairy Farm Company's premises Pok-fu-lam. It is a matter for congratulation that practical commonsense and scientific practice went hand in hand in dealing with this outbreak of disease, the result being a saving of a very considerable sum of money to the Colony.

In April an outbreak of rinderpest occurred among cattle housed at Wantsai. Twenty-six animals were destroyed. The disease did not spread, the result, no doubt, of the prompt manner in which it was dealt with.