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234
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
THE CHAIRMAN tabled the following written reply by the Commissioner for Resettlement :-
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"The present position with regard to these matters is as follows:-
A. (1) Dirty toilets.
There are three reasons why the toilets are often not as clean as they should be:
(a) The insanitary habits of the persons using them who have come from squatter areas where no flush latrines exist. The staff of the estates are doing their best to train the settlers in the proper use of flush latrines. (b) Thefts of parts of flushing systems which put these systems out of action, after which it may be some days before repairs can be effected. Every effort is being made both by the Estates staff and by the Police to stop these thefts.
(c) Inadequate supply of water to the flushing systems. Sea water for the flushing systems in Li Cheng Uk and Shek Kip Mei is pumped from a pumping station on the Cheungshawan Reclamation to a tank above the Tai Po Road from which it runs by gravity to these two resettlement estates. In the Tai Hang Tung and Hung Hom Estates the flushing water comes from wells which are not at present producing enough water owing to the dry weather. Urgent consultations with the Public Works Department on these technical matters are now being held in order to find a solution to this problem.
(2) Dirty drains.
The drains in the courtyards often become blocked because of the large number of persons who throw rubbish into them. This again is largely a matter of educating the settlers in habits of cleanliness. The sanitation staff
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
235
responsible for keeping these drains clean are being reorganized and are being instructed to clear them at more frequent intervals.
B. Inadequate lighting of the stairways.
The stairways, corridors, bathrooms and latrines in resettlement buildings are all lit by electricity and these lights are left on all night in order to reduce the number of thefts. The strength of the bulbs in the staircases was reduced a few months ago from 60 watts to 25 watts as an economy measure but even so the total bill for the lighting of public spaces in resettlement buildings amounted to $10,700 for the month of December 1956. There has been no increase in the number of thefts reported since the size of the electric light bulbs was reduced.
C. Covering over of the honeycomb partitions.
Ventilation openings are left in the dividing partition walls at the back of the rooms in resettlement estates. During the winter months the settlers sometimes block up these spaces to make their rooms warmer. The estates staff are constantly explaining to settlers that these spaces are intended for ventilation and that it is unhygienic to close them.
D. Washing places perpetually wet.
There are three reasons why the washing spaces on the floors of resettlement buildings are usually wet even when the water supply is turned off:
(a) after vegetables have been washed by settlers the unwanted portions, such as the outer leaves, are often left behind and choke the drains;
(b) the concrete surface of the washing spaces has worn because of the large number of persons using them;
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Page 16 of 35
Page 15 of 35
234
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
THE CHAIRMAN tabled the following written reply by the Commissioner for Resettlement :-
-----
"The present position with regard to these matters is as
follows:-
A. (1) Dirty toilets.
There are three reasons why the toilets are often not as clean as they should be:
(a) The insanitary habits of the persons using them who have come from squatter areas where no flush latrines exist. The staff of the estates are doing their best to train the settlers in the proper use of flush latrines. (b) Thefts of parts of flushing systems which put these systems out of action, after which it may be some days before repairs can be effected. Every effort is being made both by the Estates staff and by the Police to stop these thefts.
(c) Inadequate supply of water to the flushing systems. Sea water for the flushing systems in Li Cheng Uk and Shek Kip Mei is pumped from a pumping station on the Cheungshawan Reclamation to a tank above the Tai Po Road from which it runs by gravity to these two resettlement estates. In the Tai Hang Tung and Hung Hom Estates the flushing water comes from wells which are not at present producing enough water owing to the dry weather. Urgent con- sultations with the Public Works Depart- ment on these technical matters are now being held in order to find a solution to this problem.
(2) Dirly drains.
The drains in the courtyards often become blocked because of the large number of persons who throw rubbish into them. This again is largely a matter of educating the settlers in habits of cleanliness. The sanitation staff
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
235
responsible for keeping these drains clean are being reorganized and are being instructed to clear them at more frequent intervals.
B. Inadequate lighting of the stairways.
The stairways, corridors, bathrooms and latrines in resettlement buildings are all lit by electricity and these lights are left on all night in order to reduce the number of thefts. The strength of the bulbs in the staircases was reduced a few months ago from 60 watts to 25 watts as an economy measure but even so the total bill for the lighting of public spaces in resettlement buildings amounted to $10,700 for the month of December 1956. There has been no increase in the number of thefts reported since the size of the electric light bulbs was reduced.
C. Covering over of the honeycomb partitions.
Ventilation openings are left in the dividing partition walls at the back of the rooms in resettlement estates. During the winter months the settlers sometimes block up these spaces to make their rooms warmer. The estates staff are constantly explaining to settlers that these spaces are intended for ventilation and that it is un- hygienic to close them.
D. Washing places perpelually wet.
There are three reasons why the washing spaces on the floors of resettlement buildings are usually wet even when the water supply is turned off:
(a) after vegetables have been washed by settlers the unwanted portions, such as the outer leaves, are often left behind and choke the drains;
(b) the concrete surface of the washing spaces has worn because of the large number of persons using them;
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