1938-10-14 — Page 19

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, FRIDAY,

OCTOBER 14,

1938.

HONGKONG'S HOUSING PROBLEMS: EFFORT TO SUGGEST SOLUTION

Remarkable Document By Public Works

Dept. Official

ECONOMICS OF COOLIE CHINESE A BIG FACTOR

IN A MEMORANDUM, remarkable for its com prehensiveness, and brilliant in its analytical description, Mr. W. H. Owen, B.Sc., A.R.I.B.A., A.M.T.P.I., of the Public Works Department, endeavours to tackle the housing and slum pro- blems of Hongkong. The memorandum, which is incorporated in the Housing Commission's roport published yesterday, makes bold, not only to show why Hongkong has such acute housing and over-crowding problems, but to indicate the lines along which to solve them.

Mr. Owen insists that it is useless to consider hous- ing and slum problems, without taking into full cognisance the economics attached thereto. Legislation, he says, which ignores economics is useless. He there- fore pays considerable attention, not only to economics of Hongkong's housing problems, but to the financial considerations involved, while in an appendix he offers plans of what he regards as the most desirable type of tenement house to be built for the lower-class Chinese, whose incomes are too low to permit them to rent normal accommodation.

The memorandum is too long to produce in its entirety in one issue, but because it is a document of consderable interest and value, the Telegraph is reproducing it in serial form during the next two or three days. The first section which is published to-day deals with the history of housing and slum problems, as well as the sociological and economic aspects apropos Hongkong.

na follows:

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actually increased. Improved housing was achieved as the cost of increase rents which afford to pay.

the workers could not

PARTITION WALK S

NO! FACLLDING 6'0" HIGH

FLOOR TO CEILING

LEGAL NUMBER OF OCCUPANTS

necessitated action being taken by the State. The economie effects of pre-war legislation controlling housing, public health and communications had led to the working class house becoming al mest standardized in plan. The build- ing lot was deep and narrow fronted similar to the normal Chinesa tenement in Hongkong. The high cast of build- ing after the war necessitated the strictest economy and, on examination, it was found that the pre-war type of house was uneconomical in plan.

the plan approached to a square the cheaper the

was found that the neares

1+

area of land and the greater the accusa

coat of the building covering the ange of light and air in all parts, In spite

of the utmost attempts at economy. coats could not be reduced sufficiently to enable the working classes to pay an providing working class houses

WEE

economie rent. The responsibility for thrust on to the local authorities but agreed that, whatever the loss, no part the pound should fall upon the foeni uitleg from this was, numerically, a

little was done until the Government of it exceeding a rate of one penny in -authorlty. The supply of houses re- geent success but the cost to the Htate In consequence methods enormous. were changed and a grant was offered of a fixed subsidy per house of specifled aize built by private enterprise, to let or to all, and a subsidy to local autho- rities for houses built in tet. This

4 ¿erageFOR

Section view of the model type of tenement suggested by Mr. Owen in

report,

blocks of finis. Flata versus houses in

must largely be dependant on

ing built in six years, but the majority brought about the erection of blocks method resulted in 400,000 houses be- were bulit to acil and not to let. The at Bats. On the continent, in Europe, poorer working classes remained un-

the early tendency was to rehouse in provided for Other dimculties in the way of providing houses were shortage a long standing subject for controversy. set of There is undoubtedly room for both, materials. Costs reached their peak in

and the provision of one or the other of labour and the high

local of 1921. Even so rents were still be-

elrentsstances. For family life there 1927 but by 1929 had fallen to the levels

are many objections to flats, even if and the alum problem had not been

provided with lifts. In congested aroan road the capacity of the poorer classes,

however where the majority of tenanta and 1931 over 1,500,000 houses

must be rehoused on the spot, fath touched, Between the end of the war sale and the remainder, owing to higher to offer the only solution. They give more recreational brea and are built, of which about 1,090,000 were for rents, to mainly let to the nuperlor 'more economical, when land prices are artlann and professional classes, most high. of whom could afford an economic rent. A Parliamentary Committee in 1031 stated that "the only solution appeared to be the building of large number of working class houses at - low renia," | Without financial oxalatance from the State that was impossible.

SUBSIDY PROBLEMS

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the living room from the kitchen; fre- quently there is no courtyard. A nar- row staircase leads up to the upper | flour, which is repetition of tho ground floor; or to a cockleft (mezzani Ina door) used for sleeping purponen, Windows are small and the interior usually dark. The ground floor in thei living room, and also the work shop, and is often used for sleeping purposes as well. The factory is unknown in the country districts, and all native Indus- Itles are carried on in the home.

11. The Chinese ponnant works long hours for a scanty wage and gets prac- tleally no holidays. "In general tho Chinese are inclined to be fatalists,

government of the masses, it is unfor. tunately inimical to progress, Contact with Europeans is bound, in the courAD of Elme, to have some effect on the character of those who make Hongkong their home. The weekend holiday, sport, and a high standard of cleanli- ness and sanitation are taken for grant. Chinose. Sooner or later the claim for better housing conditions for the masses. În sure to be pressed. The longar action Is delayed the more contly it will be- come.

7. The standard of accommodation | Although this attitude facilitates the to be provided will depend on what the prospective tenant can afford and on local usage, and, also, on what com- munai services are available. In many European schemes no bathing or laun- ry facilities are provided, but in most cases this in balanced by the provision of communal bath houses and laundries. There must also be taken into secounted amongst the better pald the cost and availability'of public sup- plles for water, power and light and

8. It can be seen therefore that to heating.

consider housing from one point of view only is to court failure. The fac tors affecting housing can be broadly

tour headings, classified under ciology, hygiene and standards, finance,

SOCIOLOGY and planning.

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6. The erection of large numbers of problems. The subsidiary numerous The first part of the memorandum is, authorities totally unprepared, Towns low rented houses brings in its train grew like mushrooms, without plan and 1. The provision of housing for the without control. Where sanitary profirat is that the rent must be within mnde 11 WAB extremely the means of the prospective teannt. working classes is a world wide pravilon was biem to which, as yet, no completely primitive; for the most part however it When income is limited, a rise in rent have been known where tenants have satisfactory sciution has been found, was completely lacking. Badly built means less money for food, and casca

houses were crammed together The prolitem is initially one of econ-

tightly as possible round the factories, been removed from slum areas and the that death rate among them has increased omics, arising from the fact that the

Conditions became no appalling majority of the working classes cannot, out of their earnings, pay a rent which amething had to be done, In England, through malnutrition. Many new hous- and point of view of health. Ideally situated, will cover running costs and provide from 1848 to the end of the 19th Cen- ing estates, ideally built and, from the the working

9. A very large proportion of the interest on the capital outlay required, tury, a long series of Sanitary, whether tha. capital be provided by pri Fublic Health Acts were passed, but have failed to attract vate enterprise or by the State. For the nett resuit was that, although ionit. classen for whom they were intended. working class Chinese, in Hongkong, is of the vilinge house, but with an in-

no far from composed of immigrants from Bouth means of livelihood, that the workers

China. Before their arrival in Hong- private enterprise house building is aary conditions Improved, overcrowding as they were situated method of putting capital to use for

could not afford either the time for kong they lived in villages and were travelling or the Increased transport engaged chiefly in agricultural pursuits private gain. For the Btato it 'In a

costa. In G спит the lack of and native industries. For the purpose matter of social duty and the prest

schools, churches, shops, and such like of defence the villages are generally matire can be eliminated. Until To-

tenants away. B. The same thing has happened in have kept prospective

compactly built and surrounded by a cent years the State has besitated to compete with private enterprise, but the Hongkong. Whilst the latest type of The slum dweller is a sociable person: wall. In the absence of wheeled trafic, are reduced to the minimum steadily improving standards required tenement healthy enough if each his environment and almost complete roads

normal lack of privacy has forced upon him a necessary for pedestrian circulation, for working class houses have cut down floor were occupied by one profite to such an extent that, for the family, the vast majority of workers degree of sociability entirely absent in As in most rural communitien saalta cannot afford sufficient money to rent the wealthier classes. In England the tion axtremely ping. With no inost part, the building of working cla

to provide bouses I no longer attractive to the floor for the use of one family alone change from overcrowded and overtulit Jargo herds of firestock

normal slums to the comparative solitude of manure human excreta le used for the private investor, and the Stato has been and the result in that, in forced to enter the field,

periode, wo baye over-crowding side by twelve houses per acre, with no social purpose. The Imitations placed by the ilde with empty. tenements. Legiala centre or common meeting ground, ha Burrounding wall on an expanding sion which Ignores economier is use occasionally proved 100 drastic, and ten-popaiatlon "bare inevitably resulted in

ante have drifted back to the more overcrowding. familiar neighbourliness of the slums. 10. The normal village house in deen THE ENGLISH PROBLEM

The type of dwelling, in relation and narrow fronted, the width being to the people to be housed, is a matter fixed by the maximum usable length of for serious consideration. In England, † the Ching fr pola with which most the general tendency has been towards floors and roofs are constructed. The the garden suburb but, in rebuilding ground floor is one long room, with a congested areas, economic pressura han minute courtyard at the back dividing

lesn.

2. The housing problem is an old as the kills, but it is only in comparatively recent times that any concerted and avalained attempt has been made to Molve it. The present movement began 4. In England, prior to the war, the in Europe with the rise of industrialism State had been content to supervise the at the beginning of the 10th Century, prevision of housing by, private enter The rapid indux of people from the prize. The shortage of houses and the country to the towns found municipal fåigh cost of building after the ΠΟΣ

L or SCOVENGING

KITCHE

Ground floor and upper floor plans of the type of Chinese tenement building

„SMOKE PINE

suggested in Me. Owan's

LOUK

|

12. An, in Europe, the town attract- ed people from the country, so ong kong has attracted the population from the neighbouring provinces of South China. Their hählta and customs have had an enormous effect on the develop. ment of the town. The standard tene- ment has followed the traditional lines

greased number of foors. Overbuild- lag, overcrowding, and lack of sanita- tion have been taken for granted, as the population, have always been used to such conditions, and their fatallatie nititude towards life has produced no strong demand for improvement. It must be conceded that, when langkong became a British colony, conditions were little better in Europe. It is { natural however that the spirit of im provement in Europe should be reflect- ed in a British colony in the East, but, owing to slow communications in the early days, Hongkong has lagged for behind the mother country. In conse quence, in 1931, when the population was returned at nearly 850,000, there were some 270 acres populated at an average density of over 1,000 per acre, with a minimum of 800 per sera and a maximum of over 1,700 per sero in parts. Since the commencement of hostilities in China, there has been a rapid increase in the local population, which is now estimated at about 1,280,- | | 600. During the last few years the rate of building has been bolow Average. It is therefore safe to assume that the above mentioned densities ого now greatly excooded. The houses them- selves averaZO arer three atorics in height and are bulit at a density of approximately 80 per arre. Much has been done to improve sanitation but,, even so, there are stil hundreds of kauses with one latrine per houso an that for the use of the ground tenants only. To add more latrines, even when etructurally possible, would only add to the cost of the building and would re sult in increased rents and, in view of the poverty of the mosses, increased Evercrowding. If any improvement la to be effected It can erly be done by reducing buliding and population den! ally and rehousing, the surplus popula tion elsewhere,

13. The great bulk of Hongkong, In- dustries are still of the "home" variety. THA ground floor of notly ovary tene- Ment wither a shop or workshop. The factory system kas made lia appearance, but through lack of plan ning and direction the Ipstories competing with houtch for building sites and further adding to congestion and confusion

ara

14. Industry and housing aro'ng'in- ilmately related that it la impossible to ronaldur one without the other. People live by Industry and their standard of | living is directly governed by the, maar | sure of return derived from Industry. The type of industry, to a grant axient, i goreros the type of housing and ite situation in relation to industry.

INDUSTRIAL DIFFICULTIES

18. In any well planned community proper provision should be made forį industry and housing. In longkong the baile. Industries are shipping and commerce. Arising from, theng, two, humerous other industries have become exigblished, many of them, ',such bollding,"rbiphuflding and engineering being "definitely major industries, and providing work for large numbers of employees. There still verbalnim thon- sand and suo: things. In the "way, af goods and services which are considered (Continued on Page 5.)

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