Sessional_Paper_1898 — Page 315

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Report of the Sanitary Surveyor for the year 1897.

PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT,

HONGKONG, March 11th, 1898.

SIR,I have the honour to forward herewith tay annual report for the year 1897.

NEW HOUSE DRAINS.

1. Plans have been deposited and passed by me during the year for the redrainage of 803 houses. The plans of 1,023 houses were carried forward from 1896 making a total of 1,826 in hand during the year.

2. The redrainage of 1,201 bonses has been completed, and the plans for 35 houses have been cancelled during the year, leaving 590 carried forward to 1898.

3. In addition to the above, notices for repairs or additions to the drainage arrangements of 72 houses were carried forward from 1896 and new notices for 233 houses were received, making a total of 305 for the year.

Of these, 241 have been completed, 2 have been cancelled, and 62 are carried forward.

4. A summary of the above is appended in Tables A, B, and C.

The records have been maintained and are complete to date.

INSPECTION OF PRIVATE DRAINS.

5. The work of inspecting private house drains has not been proceeded with to any great extent during the past year. This work was considerably ahead of the redrainage which follows on such inspections, and as there were also a large number of houses in hand for redrainage, I considered it advisable to bring these redrainage works more up to date before proceeding with the systematic inspections. Wherever the necessity arose, however, to inspect one or more houses in a block, oppor- tunity was taken to inspect and report upon the entire block.

6. The following is a table of all the work done under this heading:

(a) Houses that have been inspected and reported upon-Uld drains,.........

New drains,

3,664

3,662

7,326

(6) Houses in respect of which orders have been recommended to and approved by

the Board,

5,474

(c) Number of houses for which notices have been served,

5,474

(d) Number of houses that have complied with notices,

4,779

(~) Number of houses with regard to which plans or notices for redrainage or repairs

have been submitted,

5,228

(f) Number of houses in which drains have been found defective-

Old drains,.. New drains,

3,662

38

3,700

WATER CLOSETS.

7. During the past year water closets and urinals have been erected by permission of the Board and connected to the house drains in the following buildings :

Connaught Road, Hongkong Club...

Messrs. Butterfield & Swire's Offices,

Des Voeux Road, Cricket Ground,

NEW BUILDINGS.

Water Closets. Urinals.

16 seats.

11

7

8. Certificates have been granted during the year to 400 houses and 8 additions as having been built in accordance with the provisions of Section 74, Ordinance 24 of 1887.

CEMETERIES,

9. The Mount Caroline is the only cemetery which has been dealt with by me during the year. Terraces have been formed on the hillside to accommodate 163 graves, most of which are already filled; further terraces are in course of construction.

GENERAL.

10. The number of houses redrained during the year was not so great as during the two previous years, this being accounted for by the systematic inspection of houses being temporarily stopped. The number of new buildings inspected and certified is nearly equal to those of last year and in excess of the preceding four years.

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