Sessional_Paper_1923 — Page 119

Other schemes for building.

Scheme for cheap bungalows.

Common

lodging houses for coolies.

Matsheds for

housing labourers.

Shangbai

scheme for building

cheap houses.

Sale condi- tions of

stipulate

114

because both are designed to encourage more buildings. We understand that since the terms for the latter scheme were given out to the public a few weeks ago, twenty applications for erecting blocks of houses on large areas have been received by the Government, whilst over 1,000 applications to build houses have been received under Mr. Fred Elllis' scheme referred to in paragraph 7 (3).

37. We would take this opportunity of directing attention to the scheme of Mr. F. P. de V. Soares mentioned in para. 7 (2) of this Report.

38. We would also call attention to Mr. Li Ping's letter (34) in Enclo- sure 1, in which he suggests that the Government grant a certain number o- acres of land at a cheap premium and low Crown rent, for the purpose of buildf ing standardised two-storey Chinese tenement-houses for the Chinese working classes or those of moderate means, covering an area of 800 square feet each, and costing about $3,000 a house, which could accommodate 30 persons, and. for which a monthly rental of $20, exclusive of taxes, could be charged, so that each man has only to pay 70 cents a month in rent.

Mr. Li Ping sug- gests that suitable areas for the erection of such houses for workmen can be found at Wongneichung, Tai Hang, Quarry Bay and Shaukiwan on Hongkong Island, and at To Kwa Wan and Tai Shek Koo in the Kowloon Peninsula. Cheung Sha Wan seems also suitable for the purpose. (See also paragraphs 69 to 71 as to the advantage of standardization).

39. Mr. Frank Smith in his letter (51) in Enclosure 1, gives an ingenious design for the erection of Chinese tenement-houses on the Praya East Recla- mation, and works out a scheme for a tenement-flat consisting of a kitchen, a bed-room and a living room at $8 a month.

40. Letter (42) from Mr. T. Ramsay in Enclosure 1, contains useful sug- gestions as to the building of a 5-room bungalow to cost $10,500, and a 3-room bungalow to cost about $7,500, provided that 50 or more are built, to one design, of certain materials which he specifies. The Hongkong Engineer- ing & Construction Co. in letter (22) in Enclosure 1 deals with the question of erecting up-to-date 5-room bungalows with baths and sanitary conveniences. Mr. Y. Abbas in letter (30) sends a rough plan of a 4-room house, similar to one which he has built at Gindrinkers' Bay, which could be built for $5,000 to $5,500.

41. There will also be found in Enclosure 3, an interesting and detailed scheme by the Hon. Mr. H. T. Jackman for the erection by the Government, of common lodging-houses for coolies, including the supply of food for them, together with a system of inspectors for looking after them.

42. There are also suggestions in various letters in Enclosure 1, as to the erection by the Government of matsheds to allow labourers to live rent free, so as to attract them to the Colony-see letters (19), (35) and (39).

43. In his evidence (Enclosure 8 (2)) Mr. Lam Woo also mentions a scheme in vogue in Shanghai for building cheap houses. We consider, how- ever, that, as such houses are necessarily built with more flimsy materials than those required by our Buildings Ordinance, the scheme would be un- suitable to Hongkong, owing to its liability to typhoons.

* 44. In order to prevent purchasers of Crown land from building as Crown land to few houses as possible, and as closely as they can, upon one side of the land purchased, and selling the remaining unbuilt-on portion for a profit, we recommend that the Government should stipulate for a minimum as well as a maximum number of houses to be erected on all Crown land to be sold in future.

minimum number of

houses to be

built.