Sessional_Paper_1901 — Page 788

783

No. 44

1901

No. 438.

Enclosure 1.

Enclosure 2.

Enclosure 3.

SIR,

HONGKONG.

DRAINAGE SYSTEMS; PLAGUE MORTALITY.

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

The Governor to the Secretary of State.

GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

HONGKONG, 25th October, 1901.

With reference to my Despatch (No. 254 of the 13th of last July,) forward- ing petition on the question of Hongkong Sanitation and especially calling attention to the system of drainage that has been adopted, it may be interesting to attach Extracts from the Reports made by Mr. MANSERGH in 1898, upon the surface drainage system of Colombo, and in 1890 on the surface system in Melbourne, by which it will be seen that surface drainage has its dangers and disadvantages. I also enclose an Extract from the Times of India showing that heavy as was, un- happily, the mortality of Hongkong in 1900, from the results of the plague epide- mic, the total death rate, including plague mortality, of 24.12 per mille contrasts very favourably with the 97.02 per mille shown by the Bombay returns.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient humble Servant,

The Right Honourable

J. CHAMBERLAIN, M.P.,

His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies,

Cay

&c.

HENRY A. BLAKE, Governor.

(Enclosure 1.)

Extract from Report on the Drainage of Colombo by James Mansergh, 1898.

After I had left Colombo some discussion appears to have arisen with regard to underground sewers, and the water carriage system generally, which culminated in the passing by the Municipal Council of the following resolution some time in the beginning of April, 1897 :—

"This Committee is opposed to the introduction into Colombo of closets or latrines on the water carriage system.

"Further the Committee considers that all drainage should— wherever possible-be carried in open surface drains, and that no sewers or drains underground should-except where absolutely necessary-be pro- vided."

I think I may say that if such a resolution had been put into my hands when it was first intimated to me that the Ceylon Government desired my advice, I should probably have declined the commission.

Things have, however, now gone too far and I must prepare my report in accordance with the instructions contained in your letter of the 10th July, 1896, and this being so, I had better deal at once with the Council's resolution.