Sessional_Paper_1907 — Page 566

187 (8)

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But there have been cases in which moribund Chinese plague patients have been allowed to remain in their own houses when such houses have been in their sole occupation.

Rat-catching.

11. The system requires revision.

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Contracts.

12.-Tenders of all contracts are put by the tenderers into a locked box in the Colonial Secretary's Office to which alone the Chief Clerk (Mr. CROFTON) has access. After the time for receiving tenders has expired the tenders are taken out by Mr. CROFTON, attached to the relative papers and sent under sealed covers addressed to the Heads of Departments con- cerned, for their report.

13.-Paragraph 178.-The remedy is increased supervision which might take the form of the appointment of a Superintendent of Scavenging an official to be found in large cities elsewhere. The objection is increased expense.

Cemeteries.

14. It would appear that better supervision is required at the Cemeteries.

Much is made of the case referred to in para. 203. The facts are that last year a Chinese obtained a grave space of 80 square feet in a disused portion of the Mount Davis Cemetery. He erected a monument over the grave which encroached on Crown land to the extent of 60 square feet. When his attention was drawn to the encroachment he expressed his willingness to pay for the encroachment or to reduce the size of the monument.

It is a matter of some surprise that the Commissioners should have allowed a comparatively trivial matter of this kind to occupy their time.

Paragraph 211-The Roman Catholic, Parsee, Jewish, Mohammedan, Eurasian and other Cemeteries have been leased to representatives of these and other religions, and the Law Officers of the Crown have recently advised that in such cases the Board can only control the sanitation of the cemetery and cannot regulate fees, etc.

I do not consider that the Board need any further power over these cemeterics,

14. Under the headings Burial Orders, Notices, Prosecutions and Overcrowding, the Commissioners make recommendations which will no doubt receive consideration in due

course.

Paragraph 225.--Inspector REIDIE explained that he was not prosecuting in this case and that he must have obtained Mr. DADY BURJOR's name as that of the owner of the pro- perty from the Land Office.

Paragraph 227.-I have not enquired into this case.

Paragraph 228.-The evidence does not justify the belief.

The Commissioners go on to state that the manner in which the right of entry under the Ordinance is carried out causes irritation.

I have not the least doubt that any specific complaint of this nature will be promptly dealt with by the Government but in the absence of complaint it is impossible to investigate and correct or punish.

In this matter as in many others the Chinese must learn to help themselves and the Government, which is powerless to act on statements of a general nature.

Enforcement of Sanitary and Building Regulations in Outlying Districts. 15.-A scheme already exists under which special types of one storeyed village houses- have been laid down for New Kowloon to which those who wish to erect this class of dwelling: can build.