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Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 24th October, 1894. Sir,-I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 19th instant, and in reply to inform you that the matter of the constitution of the Sanitary Board is under the consideration of the Government.-I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient servant,
J. H STEWART LOCKHART, Acting Colonial Secretary.
The Honourable J. J. Keswick,
Chairman, Chamber of Commerce,
&c., &c., &c.
Hongkong, 12th November, 1894. My dear Sir,With reference to what passed at a recent meeting of unofficial members when the composition of the Sanitary Board was discussed and a difference of opinion arose as to the question of responsibility in the event of the Government appointing a Medical Authority and Sanitary Engineer, I am decidedly of opinion that such appointment would infallibly place with the Government the responsibility for the sanitation of the colony.
I consider that the public interests would be efficiently served if the Government were to reconstitute the Sanitary Board on the above lines, that is to say, by the nomination of a Medical Authority as President, a permanent Sanitary Specialist and Engineer, and the Captain Superintendent of Police. With these officials should be associated, as at present, two members selected by the community.
As matters now are there is practically no properly constituted Sanitary Authority, and from its very nature it is impossible that the Board, as now existing, can adequately fulfil those functions expected of it, or that it can be held fully responsible for any inefficiency in the sanitation of the colony.
The state of sanitary matters exposed last summer on the outbreak of the plague suf- ficiently bears out these views, which I beliere I am right in asserting are shared by the public at large.--Believe me to be, yours truly,
J. J. KESWICK,
Honourable C. P. Chater,
Senior Unofficial Member,
Legislative Council.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND ́
We have already had experience in the work- ing of the existing Board that the presence of unofficial members, outvoted by officials, and powerless for executive purposes, has merely resulted in an overflow of debate and waste of valuable time.
But I object to the proposal for unofficial elected members chiefly because, while they would in all cases be outvoted and powerless, their presence at the Board, and the sanction given by their votes when in accord with their colleagues, would in some degree lessen the responsibility of the officials, who might even seek to shelter themselves behind the unofficial vote when some grave blunder had perhaps been perpetrated.—I am, dear sir, yours very truly, Honourable C. P. Chater, &c., &c., &c.
E. R. BELILIOS.
MEMORANDUM ON THE RECONSTRUCTION OF
THE SANITARY BOARD.
I am of opinion that the Sanitary Board hardly requires reconstitution or reconstruction. What it urgently requires are:-
(a). Enlarged power.
(b). Increased staff.
The Sanitary Board has done splendid work in the past, notwithstanding the unfavourable opinions of a few leading residents, and it would have done much better had its power been enlarged and staff increased.
The Board should have power over all public as well as private drains, and it should have under its control the water supply of the colony. Its legal power should be enlarged in several respects, especially as regards the inspection of houses and house-drains, and the prompt closing of houses unfit for human habitation with or without compensation. It should have an adequate staff consisting at least of the follow- ing officers and persons:--
1.-A Sanitary Superintendent and Secre-
tary.
2.-A Medical Officer. 3.-A Sanitary Engineer. 4.-A Chief Inspector of Nuisance or
Deputy Superintendent. 5.-Twelve Inspectors of Nuisance. 6.A sufficient number of office clerks,
overseers, coolies, &c. With such increased power and staff as sng. MINUTE BY THE HONOURABLE A. MCCONACHIE.gested, the present Sanitary Board would become
Mr. Keswick in the above letter expresses very clearly my own personal views on this matter. I would like, however, to add that I consider the Government in having the appointment of a special medical authority as President would accept all responsibility, through their own officer, for the health of the colony. The main fault to be found with the present Board is the fact that the responsibility for their actions cannot be pinned down to the Government or any one in particular.
A. MCCONACHIE.
a much more useful and effective institution, and would be found equal to the discharge of the various important duties entrusted to it by the Government, and it would meet with public approval and support.
On the other hand, if the Government is determined to reconstruct the Board, I am of opinion that the next best thing to be done is to abolish the Sanitary Board altogether, and new Government department, and create a call it the Sanitary department, where all the officers, high and low, shall be appointed by the Government, entirely subject to Gor. ernment control, and held directly re- MINUTE BY THE HONOURABLE C. P. CHATER.sponsible to the Government. Such a depart-
My ideas on this subject are identical with those expressed in Mr. Keswick's latter, for I consider that a Board, composed as he suggests, would throw upon the Government the responsi- bility for the health of the colony.
C. P. CHATER.
Hongkong, 5th November, 1894. Dear Sir,-Referring to the decision come to by the unofficial members upon the question of the re-organisation of the Sanitary Board submitted to their consideration by the Govern- ment, and the understanding arrived at between us that the minority--(Dr. Ho Kai and myself) -should furnish you with our reasons in writing for dissenting from our colleagues in their recommendation to His Excellency the Gover
I will now redeem the pledge. The recommendation was, in brief, that the newly constituted Sanitary Board should consist of three officials and two unofficials, elected by the taxpayers, to be directly responsible to the Government.
nor.
ment would have my qualified approval and, I believe, that of the public also. In troublous time the Government, through this department, would have complete charge of, and control over, the sanitation of the colony, and would have no excuse for neglect of duty.
on
But I am strongly against the reconstruction of the Sanitary Board the line as proposed, viz., three Government officials and two unofficials; the former to consist of a Medical Officer who is to be President, a Sanitary Engineer, and the Superintendent of Police, or some other Government officer who may be selected by the Government; the latter, I understand, will be appointed by the rate- payers as at present. The preponderance of the official element at once indicates the posi- tion of the two unofficial members, who can have nothing but a consultative voice in the Board. Will this give public satisfaction? I think not. Will it even give satisfaction to the two elected gentlemen themselves? 1am cer- tain that it will not, In common with others, To this I objected, urging that the Board I am a strong advocate of the principle" equal should consist of three officials only, directly power, equal responsibility; but deprecate responsible to the Government for the sanita-half measures and divided responsibility, tion of the city, and that the introduction of the elective element would weaken the efficiency of the Board without securing any corre sponding advantage.
In the proposed new Board neither the President nor any member could be held to be entirely responsible to the Govern- ment, because his actions will have to
[March 26, 1896.
be controlled and regulated by the decisions of his colleagues. But if the President be invested with the power of commanding the official votes whenever it suits his purpose or views, then the presence of the unofficials on the Board, nay, even of the other two officials as well, would be quite unnecessary.
The present Board has a majority of un- official members, two of whom are elected by public suffrage. If the presence of the un official members in the Board had not assisted in carrying out the duties of the Board in a satisfactory manner, why have any more un- officials in the new Board, but if their advice and assistance had been of use, why seek to cut their number down so as to weaken their in- fluence? If the present Sanitary Board is a failure, let those who think and say so point out the true cause clearly and unmis- takably, and it will be time then to consider the remedy; but it seems absurd to alter the constitution of the Board on specula- by a few to have failed in the discharge of its tion, simply because the Board, was considered
duties on some particular exceptional occasions. The proposed new Board seems to me nothing more than the Sanitary Board with its un- official members greatly reduced in number and with an enormously increased staff under it. Such will never command my support.
3rd November, 1894.
HO KAI.
EXTRACT FROM THE RETRENCHMENT COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
SANITARY DEPARTMENT.
217. With respect to the Sanitary Depart- ment, the total cost of which is set down at $62,557, composed of :-
Personal emoluments Other charges
$24,272
38,285.
we beg to state that we are unable to recom- mend any decrease in the cost thereof, but would call the attention of the Government to this important department with a view to the early consideration of the question whether the whole sanitary system of the colony should not be placed on a different basis and all the sanitary. arrangements and powers placed in the hands of one thoroughly competent officer, who should be personally responsible to, Government for all matters connected with the health of the colony and for the carrying out of all sanitary laws and regulations.
If the officer selected for this important office be an engineer, he should have under him a duly qualified health officer, but if the head should be a medical man, then he should be assisted by a sanitary engineer to carry out the necessary work and, in either case, with a staff sufficient to see that the sanitary regulations and laws are duly observed and carried out. It might be made part of the duties of this officer. to furnish periodical reports to the Government, which might be published for general informa- tion.
THE HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
At a monthly meeting of the Committee held at the Chamber's rooms on 28th February last. Present-Messrs. A. McConachie (Vice-Chair- man), N, J. Ede, R. M. Gray, St. C. Michael- sen, N. A. Siebs, T. H. Whitehead, and R. C. Wilcox, Secretary,
The minutes of the last monthly and special meetings were confirmed.
New Members.-The China Traders' Insur- ance Co., the Hongkong Fire Insurance Co.. and the China Fire Insurance Co. were unani- mously elected members.
The Chinkiang Chamber of Commerce.- Letter dated 15th February from the Secretary announcing the establishment of a Chamber of Commerce at Chinkiang read. The Secretary had replied congratulating the Committee and expressing readiness to co-operate.
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Change in time of departure of Homeward French Mails.-Letter from the Colonial Seoře. tary dated 3rd February transmitting a letter from the Messageries Maritimes. announcing. that their homeward fortnightly mails would in future leave Hongkong at 10 a.m. instead of
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