Sessional_Paper_1907 — Page 275

185 (15)

Commission are of opinion that shops and the more respectable Chinese houses should not be placed upon the same footing as common lodging houses and opium divaos.

117. The lime washing regulations have given rise to corruption on a very large scale, and the hardships and injustice attendant thereon have been considerable.

evidence.

118. Work in connection with re-concreting and lime washing has got into Mr. Carter's the hands of a select few, the result of a ring formed amongst certain contractors Page 574. and inspectors. The result of this has been to raise the price of lime washing Page 2825/26.

Chung Shun from $1.00 and $1.20 to $2.00 and $2.50 per floor. Good work done by Koo. Page contractors outside the ring has been condemned over and over again, whilst bad 787/788. Ho work done by ring contractors has been passed at once.

Kom Tong. Pages 2418/ 2419. Lo Man Kai's statement and

numerous Chinese

witnesses.

Page 2432.

Ka Fai Shan.

119. The usual procedure in such cases would seem to be for the Inspectors Li Yau Chuen to delay inspecting work done for two or three weeks. By this time the lime wash Tsang Tim's would probably be soiled again either by dirt or smoke and the contractor would evidence. be ordered to do it again. This process would be repeated until finally the Page 2460, contractor would, unless he engaged a ring contractor to finish the job or bribed and numerous the Inspector, be summoned before the Magistrate and fined.

other Chinese witnesses.

Page 2433,

witnesses.

120. Apart from the inconvenience to tenants of these delays, the first cost Li YauChuch. of these line washing operations (rendered so unnecessarily heavy by the and other corruption aforesaid) in the poorer districts often amounts to nearly a month's rent, Chinese and as they occur twice yearly and form but one of the many recurrent itens of expenditure that the landlord is put to under the Health Ordinance, it is not difficult to account for the enormous shrinkage in values of Chinese property, particularly in the poorer districts.

121. The Government of India do not recommend lime washing as a plague preventive, and lime, washing the walls of houses does not destroy the rat fleas infesting them. That fleas from plague stricken rats are largely instrumental in spreading plague among human beings admits of little doubt.

122. Under all the foregoing circumstances, therefore, if the question at issue is whether compulsory lime washing as an anti-plague measure should be continued or abolished, the Commission have no hesitation in recommending the abolition of the regulations in toto, but if the question at issue is one of cleanliness, as several of the experts have claimed that lime washing is conducive to that end, it is possible that the continued enforcement of the regulations in a modified form and freed from the hardships and corruption they now entail may be advisable unless some more speedy, efficacious and economical method of cleansing can be found to take the place of limewash.

123. Considerable evidence has been given before the Commission by Delay in architects, contractors, and property owners, with regard to the great inconven- passing plans ience and pecuniary loss occasioned through the delay which arises in the passing of plans and of work.

of :-Mr.

124. Even when plans have been drawn up in accordance with the law, it See evidence appears that a month or six weeks often elapses before the plans are passed. In the food, Page meantime, the owner being unable to proceed with the work, suffers loss.

2030. Mr. Denison, Page 2157/61.

2153.

125. Evidence has been given as to the method of passing plans adopted in Mr. Ough. large towns both in England and in self governing Colonies, from which it appears Page 2133/ that provided plans are in accordance with the law, a few days or at the most a Mr. Ram. week is all that passes from the time the plan is submitted to the Borough Page 2241/ Engineer to its being returned as passed.

2250. Mr. Turner. Page 2165, Mr. Lemm. Pages

126.

The delay here is no doubt in a measure due to the fact that the plans have to be sent to and fro between the Sanitary Department and the Building 1700/1727. Authority, whose offices are not in the same building.