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£24.
the visit of the Thales by the Japanese cruiser Yaycyama (1) the publication of a proper expression of regret in the Japanese Official Gazette, (2) the punishment of the officers responsible, and (3) the payment of compensation to the owners of the Thales.
C. T. Gardner, Esq., C.M.G.
HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held at
the offices on the afternoon of the 3rd inst. Hon.
F. A. Cooper (Director of Public Works) pre- sided, and there were also present Hon. Comman. der W.C.H. Hastings (Acting Captain Superin- tendent of Police), Dr. Atkinson (Acting Co- lonial Surgeon), Dr. F. W. Clarke (Health Officer), Mr. N. J. Ede, and Mr. H. McCallum (Secretary).
MINUTES.
The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed,
CONTRACT SPECIFICATIONS.
The village contract specifications were con- sidered and approved.
THE MILITARY AUTHORITIES AND THE
CONSERVANCY BOATS,
Since January, 1894, correspondence has taken place between the military authorities and the Government respecting, smells from the an- chorage station for the conservancy boats. On the 7th of last month the Medical Officer of Health and Mr. McCallum went over to Stone- cutters Island at the time the conservancy boats from Victoria were discharging cargo. No smell was perceptible. The forenoon was calm, but making due allowance for this it was difficult, reported Mr. McCallum, to understand how the smell from the boats in question can at any time affect the camp on Stonecutters Island. How. ever, he recommended that the military authori. ties be asked to telephone or telegraph over at a time when they had cause for complaint, when either he or Dr. Clarke would investigate mat- ters. In reply to this report Major Botfield wrote ou the 20th of last month that Mr. McCallum seemed to doubt the statements that there is a stench.. There is. however, no doubt about it;
there is at times an abominable stench, and I can see no object in anyone going over to smell it. The only thing is to shift the boats." Lieut. Colonel O'Gorman also hoped that the boats would be shifted as suggested.
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•
The following minutes were appended :— Mr. Ede-From my own observation there is no doubt that the stench from the boats is very lad at fully half a mile from them dead to leeward. The question is, Can an anchorage be selected which will prevent the smell reaching the shore, whether Stonecutter or elsewhere? If so it should be done. The Ileal Officer--I see no reason for altering the anchorage of the conservancy loats off Stone cutters' Island; the site has been chosen with great care and with every regard to its various sur roundings, and to the direction of the prevailing winds.
The Colonial Surgeon-It is reasonable to expect that during the N E. monsoon the boats should be moved to the west of Stonecutters' as appears from the correspondence dated 17.4.94 to have been agreed upon.
The Acting Captain Superintendent of Police— Shift them three-quarters of a mile due west of Stonecutters'.
that
The President-It appears from these papers the smell is not a constant occurrence. If the military authorities will assist the Board by giving information when the smell actually exists the beats will be visited by an officer of the Board and the operations actually being carried on ascertained. It seems very doubtful whether the mere existence of This conservancy station is sufficient to account for the alleged nuisance at Stonecutters'.
The Secretary-It seems to me it would be a waste
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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should accept his statements and recommendations without any investigation. I hardly think the Civil Government will take any action until they have had the reports of the officers concerned before them. These officers cannot possibly report that a nuisance exists till they have observed the nuisance. It is for this reason that a request has been made to telegraph at a time when the nuisance is observable. Ön | Saturday both Dr. Clarke and myself had a telegram at 1p.m. that the stench from the boats was perceptible on the island. We got over there at 2 p.m. and certainly it was not perceptible then nor was the breeze blowing from the boats towards the island. said that three days ago he received a telegram In answer to the President the SECRETARY
from the military authorities stating that the stench was noticeable only between ten and twelve o'clock.
altering the anchorage to definitely ascertain The PRESIDENT said it would be well before
what was the real cause of the nuisance. He moved that the Colonial Secretary be informed that the Board were investigating the matter, and at present they had no definite proposition to make as regards the removal of the boats.
The HEALTH OFFICER seconded. Carried.
AWNINGS AND SUNSHADES.
40
try and merchants of the colony praying that Two petitions were presented from the 'gen. they may be exempted from removing sunshades or awnings." The petitioners said that they had and sunshades had been erected for a long time carried on business for many years and awnings
without any householders as a shelter from wind, sun, and objection by shopkeepers and rain. Notices had now been received ordering the immediate removal of sunshades and awnings, but for what reason petitioners were ignorant. If the awnings were removed their goods would Buffer.
[January 3, 1806.
MR. J. D. HUMPHREYS AND HIS CARRIAGES
FIRST PROSECUTION UNDER THE
⠀ ORDINANCE At the Police Court on the 31st Mr. T. Sercombe Smith, Mr. J. 1 was summoned for "unlawfully usi vehicle, to wit, a four-wheeled can which a licence is required, witho valid licence for the same on the 28th contrary to Ordinance 13 of 1895, section
Mr. Humphreys denied the charge. Inspector Quincey was the first witness called and said-On Saturday, the 28th ult. about 11.30 a.m., I was with Sergeant Holt in the Queen's Road. We saw a four-wheeled standing outside the Hongkong Dispensary. I carriage, to which were attached two ponies,
knew the carriage belonged to Mr. Humphreys, having seen him riding in it before. The vehicle is kept at Mount Richmond, which is Mr. Humphreys' residence. I spoke to Mr. Humphreys about the licence previous, to the 28th December and asked him if he had received a letter from Captain Hastings about private carriages. He replied "Yes, I will comply."
Mr. Humphreys-I admit I did not take a licence, and I do not mean to.
Mr. Humphreys to witness-You say this the time half-past eleven. was on the 28th-that was on Saturday
Witness-Yes!!
:
carriage you saw was my carriage?
Mr. Humphreys Are you quite sure the
Witness-It was the same are accustomed to drive.
one that you
Mr. Humphreys-Were they the same ponies? Witness-I can't exactly say.
Mr. Humphreys-Has Mr. Belilios a four- wheeled carriage?
Witness-Yes!
Mr. Hart Buck was then called and examined by Mr. Humphreys. He said he know Mr. Humphreys' carriage; he did not use it on Sa-. turday, the 28th December, as he only had one pony on that date. The other pony broke ita back fourteen days before and was killed. Since then Mr. Humphreys had not, to witness's know- ledge, used his carriage.
The HEALTH OFFICER said it was absolutely necessary if the sanitation of the colony was to be maintained that the sunshades and awnings should be removed. He did not refer so much Mr. Humphreys-I can prove that I had to those sunshades which were merely only one carriage pony on the day in question.* dilapidated and dirty, because these could
The other pony had been killed, which rendered be removed and replaced by better ones, but it quite impossible for me to use the carriage. I to those sunshades which were so placed over did not drive a four-wheeled carriage on the 28th the doors of houses as to obstruct a considerable Dec., and no carriage of mine stood outside the portion of light, and this was one of the causes Hongkong Dispensary during any part of that of the all pervading odonr to be found there; day, with or without ponies. I had one car- the plague records amply bore out this state-riage pony on the day in question; the other ment. Dirt was bound to accumulate in dark was killed some days before. places, and during the last three months he had been in many Chinese places where it was impossible. except by means of artificial light, That being so he thought it was proper to open to distinguish the features of the inmates.
the ground floors and throw more light into thom. The causes of the darkness were two-fold. One house-a defect which was remedied last year was the size of the opening at the back of the by Ordinance; and the other cause was the fact that awnings were placed so low down as to cover a considerable portion of the front door or entrance to the shop; perhaps in addition a variety of articles obstructed the light. He moveď- "That the Board directs that any awning or sunshade which in the opinion of the Medical Officer of Health shall be 80 dirty or so dilapidated as to constitute a nuisance shall be cleansed, repaired, or removed as the Medical Officer of Health shall direct, provided that any sunshade, which shall render any inhabited room so dark as to be prejudicial to the health of the inmates shall be
removed."
The PRESIDENT hoped the members of the Board would concur in the resolution, which he seconded. He quite agreed that there were many cases in the colony where the -xistence of the sunshades in their present condition and position could not be other than injurious to sanitation. Under the circumstances he thought the Board ought to take active steps at once to improve this state of things.
The resolution was carried.
of valuable time to circulate a confused mass of cor- respondence like this to members, and I recommend that the military authorities be invited to state their complaint clearly and distinctly. To this request the argumentative reply might be given-the stench from the conservancy boats at anchor off the north-east corner of Stonecutters · Island. That, however, is not the point, or rather only part of the point, at issue. Surely the military authorities can give the distance the anchorage is from their encampment, and whether this anchorage is in British or Chinese waters, or on the line of demarcation between the two waters. The officer in year. command of the Royal Artillery at Stonecutters Island seems to think that the Civil Government
MORTALITY STATISTICS.
By his Worship Mr. Humphreys did pos- sess a four-wheeled carriage, but he did not think he had a licence for it.
His Worship Where were you on that day P Witness-I was at the office a part of the day. I left there in the afternoon.
His Worship Where is your office? Witness-Next to the Hongkong Dispensary. His Worship Where was Mr. Humphreys four-wheeled carriage on that day?
Witness-I don't know.
His Worship How do you know that the carriage was not used by Mr. Humphreys on that day?
Witness-Because he was in the office the best part of the day.
His Worship You say the carriage was not standing outside the Hongkong Dispensary on the day in question. How do you know that?
Witness--Because I did not see it.
His Worship-It is quite possible it might have been there without you having seen it P
Witness-Oh yes, it is quite possible, but improbable.
His Worship-Do you know how long Mr Humphreys was in his office on that day ?
Witness--He was in and out all day, I don't know when he left.
For the week ended 21st December last the rate of mortality was 31 per 1,000 per annum as Mr. Humphreys--I was-
His WorshipYou must not interrupt, please. against 19.6 for the corresponding week of last
When I have finished cross-examining the wit- year. For the week ended 28th December the rate was 24.9 per 1,000 per annum as comparedness you will be at liberty to ask him any ques- with 16.8 for the corresponding period of last
ADJOURNMENT.
The Board adjourned until Thursday week.
tion you wish, but you must not interrupt now and I will not have it.
In the course of further questions by his Worship as to his movements on that day, wit
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.