Sessional_Paper_1901 — Page 552

48

(A) The provision of open spaces in rear of (1.) existing dwellings by opening out on each floor one half of the space between the principal room and the main wall at the back unless the building is already provided with an open back-yard of 50 square feet (Clause 7); (2.) dwellings erected after the passing of the Ordinance accord- ing to the following scale :-

Houses not exceeding 40 feet in depth for each foot of

width,........

Exceeding 40 but not over 50 in depth,

Over 50 and under 60,

Over 60,

.8 square feet.

.10

"

12

+

14

with a proviso that when the owners of a block of buildings make a lane opening at either end on a public street the open spaces might be reduced as follows:-

For houses not exceecing 40 feet in depth a lane 6 feet wide.

Over 40 feet but under 50 feet

Over 50

Over 60

,,

17

21

3

35

""

""

60

11

>

""

37

13

"

""

(9-) The concreting, channelling and lighting of private streets.

(Clause 9.)

(Clause 8.)

The Director of Public Works in seconding the Bill remarked that "as in many similar cases the Bill as it now stands is somewhat of a compromise. Some of those connected with its drafting have wished to go much further in the provisions for admitting light and air to the crowded houses in the city, in providing for larger open spaces and consequent less overcrowling; others have been inclined to make loss change in the existing order of things, which proves the aphorism that there is no relation between Hygiene and money getting."

He went on to say that "one of the most eminent of modern writers on sanitary subjects states "all sanitarians are agreed that mortality and density of population are directly proportional” and he quoted Dr. Vivian Poore who wrote "we have been long accustomed to hear that one chief sanitary necessity in this world is pure water. This would be quite true if we were fish, but it is obvious that the purity of the air we breathe is of far greater importance than the purity of the water we drink, seeing that we must take a draught of air about twenty times a minute while many of us don't take a draught of pure water from week's end to week's end.”

In Committee His Excellency the Governor suggested that with a view to diminishing over- crowding the area of the cubicles should be increased, and the further discussion of the Bill was postponed.

On the 31st of October the Council resumed the consideration of the Bill in Committee and the Captain Superintendent of Police suggested on behalf of the Sanitary Board that clause 4 sub-section (g.) should be amended so as to provide that a space of 6 foet (as originally recommended by the Board) instead of 4 feet be left between a cubicle and any window the area of which is included in caleul- ating the required window area of one-tenth of the floor area.

The Director of Public Works, Honourable E. R. Belilios and the Honourable Dr. Ho Kai were in favour of not increasing the four feet of space and the Council decided to leave the clause as it

stood.

The Honourable T. H. Whitehead suggested that clause 6 be amended by deleting words so as to make it apply to all buildings erected after the passing of the Ordinance unless the building had a lane of a width at least one-fourth of the height of the building along one of its lateral sides aud throughout its whole depth.

The Colonial Treasurer and the Director of Public Works pointed out that such a provision would probably involve compensation on the part of the Government to the owners of property acquired before the passing of the Ordinance and the amendment was not pressed.

Clauses 7 and 8 relating to open spaces in rear of buildings were left over for further discussion and on the 20th November the clauses were adopted with some verbal alterations.

On the 23rd November the Bill was read a third time and passed.

F. H. MAY,

13.7.1901.