Sessional_Paper_1901 — Page 554

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The Petitioners further assert that for 19 years the condition of Hongkong has remained practically as insanitary as when Mr. Chadwick made his report, and they add (in paragraph 18) that "so far as anything practically resulting the Sanitary Commission of 1881 might never have been appointed."

In support of their contention, the Petitioners quote a number, but by no means all, of Mr. Chadwick's recommendations and instance several of them either catego- rically or by implication which have not been carried out.

2. In order to facilitate a fair and impartial consideration of the various allega- tions contained in the Petition, we beg to invite attention to the following statements which are attached to this Memorandum :—

(7.) A summary of the recommendations of Mr. Chadwick in his report

to which the Petitioners refer.

(b.) A statement of the Public Works that have been undertaken in fur- therance of Mr. Chadwick's recommendations, including an account

of the expenditure incurred on account of those works showing an outlay of nearly Five Million Dollars.

(.) A brief review of the legislation dealing with sanitation that has been

enacted between the years 1887 and 1899 inclusive.

3. Any one who reads these statements cannot fail to see that whilst the Gov- ernment of this Colony has realized how important and necessary it is that the sanitation of Hongkong should be placed in a satisfactory state and has spent large sums of money with a view to improve its sanitary condition, it has had to contend against many difficulties, not the least of which has been that opposition to Sanitary Legislation which is described in the review referred to above.

As regards Mr. Chadwick's recommendations, of the various Public Works recommended by him, only two that might have been undertaken earlier, viz.:-the erection of public baths and model dwelling houses-have been postponed, but they are both now to be carried out.

Three other recommendations of Mr. Chadwick, viz.:-the formation of an improvement fund; the acquisition of private latrines, and the resumption of land required for the formation of back-alleys-the two latter of which involve enor- mous expenditure-have not been embarked upon for reasons that will be indicated further on.

Enclosure A.

Enclosure B.

4. The statements B. and C. furnish an answer to the allegations implied or expressed by the Petitioners regarding the neglect to provide private latrines, mar- kets, public laundries, a water supply for the Kowloon Peninsula and for some of the larger villages, and the preparation of roads and drains before building lots are sold. (Vide paragraphs 7, 8, and 9.) They explain how it came to pass that Government was unable to give effect to the proposal to require back-yards (which were intended to take the place of the back-alleys recommended by Mr. Chadwick doubtless because it was thought easier to obtain yards than continuous alleys) or to exact 600 cubic feet of air-space in rooms sub-divided by cubicles. (Paragraph 9.) They prove that the statement made in paragraph 11 to the effect that no flushing tanks for sewers have been constructed is without foundation; and that paragraph 15 is entirely misleading and in parts untrue.

Enclosure C.

system of drainage in (Vide paragraph 9 of

It was Mr. Chadwick who first suggested the separate part and finally endorsed its adoption for the whole City. this Memorandum.) The supply of water is sufficient for the purposes of that system and the necessary flushing tanks have been provided. The original scheme. of having sewer outfalls at North Point and Kennedy Town and the pumping system in connection with those outfalls were abandoned owing to the making of