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Appendix A.

No. 34 OF 1899.

An Ordinance to make further provision for the sanitation of the Colony and to repeal certain enactments of the closed houses and insanitary dwellings Ordinance, 1894.

LS

HENRY A. BLAKE, Governor.

[30th November, 1899.]

Short title, and application.

Interpretation.

Limit of fittings

for sleeping accommodation

in a room.

Requirements as to cubicles.

Be it enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:-

1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Insanitary Properties Ordinance, 1899: it shall not apply to the Hill District or to any portion of the New Territories except to such portion thereof as it shall hereafter be expressly extended to by Ordinance.

2. In this Ordinance unless the contrary intention appears,-

The expression "Hill District" means any part of the island of Hongkong

above the 600 feet contour, except Chinese villages:

The expression "New Territories" means the additional territories acquired by this Colony under the provisions of a Convention, dated the 9th day of June, 1898, between Hes Majesty Queen Victoria and His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of China for the enlargement of the limits of this Colony: The expression "Street" includes any square, court or alley highway, lane,

road, or passage whether a thoroughfare or not:

The expression Domestic Building" means any human habitation or building where persons pass the night, but shall not include any human habitation. or building where caretakers not exceeding two in number pass the night: The expression "Owner" includes any person, company, or corporation which holds any premises direct from the Crown, whether under lease, licence or otherwise, and also includes any person, company, or corporation for the time being receiving the rent of any premises, solely or as joint-tenant, or tenant in common with others, or receiving the rent of any premises whether on his own behalf or that of any other person, or, where no such owner as above defined can be found or ascertained, the occupier; and for the purposes of this Ordinance every mortgagee in possession shall be deemed an owner. 3. No room fitted with bunks or beds shall be so fitted as thereby to provide sleeping accommodation for a greater number of persons than are by law permitted to occupy the room.

4. The following requirements shall be observed with regard to cubicles and partitions :-

(a.) In domestic buildings fronting streets of a width of less than 15 feet, no cubicles or partitions shall be erected, or if already existing shall be allowed to remain, except on the top floor.

(b.) In domestic buildings fronting streets of a width of 15 feet or over, no cubicles or partitions other than ["ping fung" (i.e., shop divisions) shall be erected, or if already existing shall be allowed to remain, on the ground floor, and in the case of every such "ping fung" there must be a space between the top thereof and the ceiling or under side of the joists of the room of not less than four feet, which may be closed in only by wire netting, lattice work or carved woodwork, arranged in such a way as to leave at least two-thirds open and as far as practicable evenly distributed.

(c) No cubicles or partitions shall be erected, or if already existing shall be

allowed to remain, in any kitchen.

(d.) Where one cubicle only is hereafter erected or already exists in any room of a domestic building, no portion of the structure of such cubicle shall exceed eight feet in height; where two cubicles only are so erected or exist, no portion of the structure of either of such cubicles shall exceed seven feet in height; where more than two cubicles are so erected or exist, no portion of the structure of any such cubicles shall exceed six feet in height. In all cases, however, there must be a space between the top of every portion of the structure of such cubicles and the ceiling or under sides of the joists of the room of not less than four feet, which may be closed only by wire netting, latice work or carved woodwork, arranged in such a way as to leave at least two-thirds open, and as far as practicable evenly distributed.