Sessional_Paper_1904 — Page 411

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During the year special attention has been paid to the enforcement of the domestic cleanliness bye-laws. The standard of thoroughness for the six-monthly limewashing of tenement houses has been considerably raised, though not without much difficulty and opposition at first.

GENERAL CLEANSING OF THE CITY,

On November 10th there was begun a general cleansing of the buildings throughout the City of Victoria and Kowloon. The scheme was as follows:-The Sanitary Inspectors of the Plague Staff were to have served on each separately let floor a notice requiring the tenants to cleanse the floor on the third day from the date of service. Failure to comply with the notice would result in the floor being cleansed by the coolies employed by the Board.

On the morning of the day mentioned for compliance with the notice the Sanitary Inspector assisted by a Foreman would visit the houses to be cleansed on that day, and would supervise the work. Soft soap ready dissolved in hot water would be issued to the people free of cost. Any floors found clean would be exempted from further washing. Empty floors found dirty would be cleansed by coolies under the direction of the Sanitary Inspector. The scheine proved very successful. With surprising willingness the people set to and cleansed their houses, with the result that up to the end of the year 18,983 floors were cleansed and up to the date of the last weekly return (January 23rd, 1904,) 23,784 floors.

That such a general cleansing is really required is shown by the great quan- tily of domestic rubbish daily carted away from the houses being cleansed. It has been estimated that about 30 tons of rubbish has been removed daily in this way since the cleansing began.

PUBLIC SANITARY CONVENIENCES.

During 1903 there have been erected and handed over to the Board two public latrines, two public urinals and one public (free) bath-house. The latrines are situate at Tai Hang Village and in the compound of No. III Police Station in Queen's Road East. The two urinals are one in Ice House Street and one at the Parade Ground. The bath-house is in Cross Lane.

This bath-house has been a great boon to the neighbourhood, the average number of men making use of the place during December, 1903, being 550 per day. Before the water supply was cut off after 10 a.m. between 900 and 1,000 men used the bath-house daily.

The four bath-houses rented by the Board in the block of houses between Second and Third Streets have been retained since the last epidemic of plague was over, and are much used by the people in this district.

Two more public latrines, one new bath-house and three urinals are shortly to be erected and there is no doubt that they are urgently needed.

Complaints of bad smells emanating from the public latrines have been fre- quently received and are not unjustified. These places are well looked after by the Sanitary Inspectors, but if bad smells are to be avoided the design of these build- ings and the system of ventilating them will have to be altered. Instead of ventilation by simple diffusion or even by exhaust fans and tall shafts some elaborate scheme of controlled ventilation by means of special inlets and outlets will have to be adopted and moreover cremating furnaces for the foul air will have to be provided at the outlets.

OPEN SPACES.

A small resumption of built over land has been made in No. 6 Health District by which Lower Lascar Row has been continued to U Hing Lane. The resump- tion included four houses and small portions of two others but a considerable improvement has thereby been effected providing a good open space between the backs of houses in Queen's Road Central and Circular Pathway. The large plot of land between Taipingshan Street and Po Hing Fong between Square Street on the East and the new Tung Wah Hospital building on the West has been saved from the builder for the purpose of a public park. As a playground for the children of the very densely populated district below, it should prove a great benefit.

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