The-Hong-Kong-Weekly-Press-1895-05-01 — Page 6

May 1, 1895.

various attempts which had been made for the enforcement of those by-laws since 1865. and I showed that, during the space of about 25 years, no less than five attempts have been made by Gov- ernmentioenforce those by-laws, and without suc- dess, I ask you, gentlemen, was it'surprising that this Board should hesitate before endeavouring to enforce by-laws which, it was almost certain, the Government would not be able to put through. It was only recently, gentlemen, that I myseif, knowing that we had at the present time a Governor in this colony who has shown that he would stand no nonsense from the native popu- lation-I say, knowing that full well, I got the consent of the Board to put these by-laws in force. I say, gentlemen, that the blame for the delay in putting these by laws in force cannot be laid upon this Board. Then we go on to the sanitary maintenance of the dwellings in this city, and the maintenance of the sanitary condition generally. I say, gentle men, that this Board may have had its short comings. It certainly was underhanded; it had not sufficient powers, because it had not the right of entry into every dwelling, and its officers could not inform themselves of the condition of the interior of these dwellings. But, gentle meu, do the landlords and the landed class in this colony carry out their duty? Is it any de fence on the part of a murderer to say "Ob, the police did not come and stop me committing that murder" I say, no; and I say. gentlemen, that, leaving the past alone, we have ample proof, from the experiences of the last three or four months. that, however loud the execrations of a certain class in this colony may be against the Sanitary Board for having coutributed to the plague of last year, and however loud they may clamour over the action of this Board and say that the plague will visit us again, they themselves, gentle men. while they complain and while they clamour, they move neither hand nor foot to assist this Go. verament or this Board in carrying out the sani tary laws of this colony, or in looking after their own property, and doing all they can to co-operate with us.

CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.

827

THE GOVERNMENT AND THE SANITARY BOARD.

RESIGNATION OF THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS,

A reply has been received from the Govern- ment to the letter of the Sanitary Board with reference to the appointment of the Medical Officer of Health. The resolution passed by the Board was as follows:-

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That a letter be addressed to the Colonial Secretary asking that His Excellency the Governor be pleased to make an order directing that the Medical Officer of Health shall not only advise the Board but assist the Board in the carrying out of its various executive duties and at all times place his services at the disposal of the Board, so that by resolutions the Board can delegate to him part or any of its powers, duties or functions; and farther that the Gov- ernment be requested to place the Medical Officer of Health in the same position, as far as practiable, in relation to this Board as a Health Officer is to a Sanitary Authority of his district at home."

In reply I am to state that His Excellency bas no objection to the rosolution, as it practi. cally embodies what was the intention of the Governor in making the appointment.

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any landlord to conform with those by-laws. I suppose that in due course the police will have to be called upon to supply officers to go round and summon the recalcitrant landlords, and enforce the by-laws by penalties in the Police Court-to put the provisions of this Ordinance in force, which was specially aimed at keeping the plague out of the colony, You go a little further down the Ordinance and find that on and after 1st April, 1895, it shall not be lawful, without the written consent of the Sanitary Board, to live in, occupy, or use, or to let or sublet, or to suffer or permit to be used for habitation or for occupation as a shop, any cellar, vault nuderground room, basement, or room any side of which abuts on or against the earth or soil" That clause, gentlemen, was put in at the urgent request of the Permanent Com- mittee of the Sanitary Board during or after the plague of last year, because these dwellings are utterly uninhabitable. The Permanent Committee cleared every one of the basements of this description in the western police district and all those in the eastern police district. The Committee did not clear those in the central police district because there were no premises The Government's reply is as follows :--- into which to turn the people. I have had a re-

Colonial Secretary's Office, port made, and I find that between 150 and 200

Hongkong, 26th April, 1895. basements of this description are being illegally "Sir, I have the honour by direction of the occupied at the present time, although the land-Governor to acknowledge the receipt of your lords are drawing their rents from the wretched letter of the 23rd inst. transmitting a copy of people who are inhabiting these hovels, which resolution agreed to at a special meeting of the this Hoard would not license to keep pigs iu. Board held on the 22ad inst. The landlords must be fully aware that they are breaking the law in receiving rents from their tenants. Not anffort, not one single step has been taken to rid these disgusting hovels of their inhabitants. Again, I suppose that either the Sani-

His Excellency in appointing a Medicale tary Inspectors of this Board will have to neglect Officer of Health intended that that officer their other duties and spend their mornings in the should assist the Board as far as practicable. Police Court summoning the landlords for a In view, however, of the dual control that exists breach of this Ordinance, or the Sanitary In-over sanitary matters in this colony, as well ag spectors not having time, the police, who are on military grounds, it is not considered prac- paid by the taxpayers in this colony for other ticable to place the present Medical Officer of purposes, will be withdrawn from their legiti Health in exactly the same position as that held It was principally on the recommen-mate duties, and turned into Sanitary Inspectors by such an officer in relation to the Board of dation of this Board that a most important to carry out the provision which has been enacted Health in a district in England. Ordinance was passed on 29th December, 1894, at the urgent request of the Permanent Com- In conclusion, I am to state that His Excel- the Ordinance 15 of 184, and its provisions mittee of the Sanitary Board. Then as regard-lency anticipates that any officer holding the aimed at the prevention of the recurrence of ing the maintenance of mezzanine floors and appointment of Medical Officer of Health will at plague in this colony. Gentlemen, the plague cubicles in one and the same room. These, all times loyally co-operate with the Board, as in- is at our door, and I ask you, what has been done thank God, are now illegal. The multiplication deed Surgeon-Major Westcott is already doing, under this Ordinance to keep it out? I say, of mezzanine floors and cubicles in Chinese houses in endeavouring to bring about the much-needed gentlemen, that practically nothing has been in this colony was one of the greatest pre-improvement in the sanitation of this colony. done, and why? Not because the officers of the disposing causes of the plague, and prevented all

I have, &c., Board have not been working, but because the light and ventilation penetrating into the rooms. task is such an enormous one that they have so I can assure you that although it has been illegal far been able to make very little impression, since 1st January for a cubicle and mezzanine to And why? Because there has been no assis-

co-exist in the sanie room, no effort has been tance or co-operation from the landed class in made on the part of the owners of any of the this colony, with only one or two exceptions. houses in this colony to enforce that law. I We have heard about these common lodging think, gentlemen I have mentioned the principal house by-laws, and I may tell you that I have points that I care at this late hour to touch had to detail two special officers to go about the upon. You all know, of course, and every one city summoning people for keeping unregistered knows, that process by proceedings in the Police Court to carry out the various provisions of the sanitary laws is, where you have to deal with a population of nearly 250,000, simply an inter- minable business. If no effort is to be made on the part of the landed classes to co-operate with us and to assist us in getting this colony into a decent sanitary condition, I say, gentlemen, that, with the present staff of inspectors, it will take five or six years to carry out that law. If you had a hundred inspectors to-morrow you would make very slow progress even in a year. Gentlemen, I earnestly appeal to the landed classes in this colony to just think for one moment and to reflect that without their co-operation and as sistance really to speedy progress can be made in ameliorating sanitary matters in this colony, It is no use blackguarding the Government, and then the Sanitary Board. It appears to be the Sanitary Board just now, but during the last fourteen years it has been the Government who has been blamed. However, the Government is in favour now, and the Sanitary Board is not. That does not matter to us. What we want to do is to get Ordinance 15 of 1894 euforced up to the hilt, and I only regret that I am going away and I will not be here to render my slight assist ance in doing so.

houses. I have done that because I did not wish

to take the Sanitary Inspectors away from their own duties. These police officers, who are paid to look after ratepayers' lives and pro. perty, are detailed for summoning lodging house keepers for keeping open nuregistered houses,

and I know of only one landlord and think I can publicly mention his name be cause it reflects great credit upon him-who has assisted us much in getting tenants to register for themselves—the Labd Invest- ment Company, under the enlightened manage. inent of Mr. Chater, and his secretary, Mr. Shelton Hooper. The Company has turned out people who have not registered, and I do not know another landlord who has taken similar action, although it might have greatly facili. tated the action of this Board in getting the bonses registered and so stopping overcrowding. Then, gentlemen, passing from overcrowding, we have a very important provision which says that, from and after 1st July, 1895, the ground surface of such building and of every cookhouse, latrine, or open surface con- nected therewith, such as backyards, court yards or other spaces on which slops may be thrown or from which foul waters flow, shall be properly covered over with a layer of some impervious material to the satisfaction of the Sanitary Board." Gentlemen, the by-laws which have been made setting forth what materials would be to our satisfaction have been in force many weeks now, and I say here publicly that no steps have been taken by

ALJOURNMENT. The Board then adjourned.

H.E. Mr. L. P. Beaufort, the newly ap- pointed Governor of British North Borneo, and Mrs. Beaufort arrived at Singapore où the 19th inst, from Liverpool in the steamer Ulyssės.

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"J. H. STEWART-LOCKHART,

"Colonial Secretary. "The Secretary, Sanitary Board."

Mr. J. J. Francis, Q.C., and Mr. R. K. Leigh, the elected representatives of the ratepayers, have resigned, and Dr. Hartigan and the Hon. Ho Kai, the unofficial members nominated by the Governor, have also sent in their resignations, on the ground that the present position and power of the Medical Officer of Health are inconsistent with the constitution and dignity of the Board.

The following address has been issued by Mr. J. J. Francis, Q C., and Mr. R. K. Leigh to the ratepayers:-

To the Ratepayers of Hongkong.

Gentlemen,-On the 16th June last, at a meet- ing held at the City Hall, we, the undersigned, were chosen by you to be your representatives on the Sanitary Board. At the meeting wa both addressed you and both of us called your attention to the defects in the constitution of the Board; to the lamentable division of sanitary duties and responsibilities between the Public Works Department, the Water Authority, and the Board; to the want of power in the Board to perform efficiently even the work instructed to it, for want of a sufficient staff and for want of effective authority and control over the mem- bers of that staff. We pointed out that there was no Medical Officer of Health and that our Sanitary Surveyor was a subordinate officer of a departinent of the Government and not under our control. We both concurred in the opinion that if the Sauitary Board was to be held responsible for the sanitation of the colony its powers and authorities would have to be very considerably enlarged and extended so as to embrace the management of the public sewers and of the supply and distribution of the water, and that it must be provided with an efficient sanitary staff, including a Medical Officer of Health, wholly under its orders.

We pointed out, in conclusion, that unless the