THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
the possession of this rich archipelago for the good of humanity, civilisation, and our holy religionR7nq "spivolini (odl dark, ndi ni
shay both si
HONGKONG: SANITARY BOARD
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A meeting of the : Banitary Board was held the offices on the 8th October Hon F. A. Cooper: (Director of Public Works) presided and there were also present-Hon. F., H. May (Captain Superintendent of Police), Dr. Ayres (Colonial Surgeon), Dr. Clark (Medical Officer of Health), Mr. N. J. Ede, and Mr. H. McCallum (Secretary).
MINUTES.
The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.
THE NEW BY-LAWS.
The PRESIDENT brought forward the new by-laws made under section 13 of Ordinance 15 of 1894 vie
Mr. EDE asked, in reference to by-law 36, whether the officers of the Sanitary Board "would be so au- duly authorised in writing thorised-in each individual case to act according to the power given to them by the by-law. He thought the officers ought not to have so much power, but that it should be confined to the Becretary or the Medical Officer of ealth:
The PRESIDENT said it would rest with the Board when the time arrived as to what officers would be authorised. The Board would be guided by the circumstances at the time. It was considered by the members of the Board that if there was an epidemic of plague it was necessary to place those powers in the hands of somebody.
Mr. EDE said that an officer would ehav power to destroy almost any woodwork in a man's house if he considered the removal necessary for the public health.
The PRESIDENT-Not unless the Board gives him power in writing.
The CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE ~The Board would never give such power to the foreman of a gang.
"During the recent strike of the nightmen it bécsine necessary to try and find "men" to take the place of those of strike." One of the men whom I thought would be likely to be able to supply such men as was required was 'at' ones communicated with "and" he submitted to me the following proposal; viz. —
(1) Allow the strikers to resume work unoon- ditionally.
(2) Enter into a contract with him for a period of five years on the following terms viz.
(a). That he would provide a sufficient number of men to do the work in the same manner as it is being done at present, with the exception that his men would be registered and that they would use buckets of the required pattern.
(b) That he would pay a fee of $2,000 for the five years' contract.
(e) That he would be permitted to make the following charges, viz.:--
(1) Chinese teuement houses; 13 cents per pot, e. per family per month.
(2) Chinese shops, under a monthly rental of 350, 30 cents per month.
(3) Chinese shops of a monthly rental of $50
and under $100, 60 cents.
$100 and upwards, $1.
(4) Chinese shops of a monthly rental of
+
(5) European houses, a morning attendance only, $2.
(6) European houses, a day and a morning attendance, $3.
(7) Large institutions, for each nightman required, $7.50..
(8) Each nightman would be secured to the extent of $50.
(9) The contractor to supply buckets, etc., at his own cost.
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Ten days or a fortnight was required to make the necessary arrangements. Inasmuch as what was really required was an immediate start of work, this proposal was not then paid much attention to, but now that the strike is ended, I certainly think the matter is one which deserves serious consideration by the Board. If such be possible, there can be no
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The following
posalah T thin holder make hi subject to the
the use of a proper
Medical Officer of 1 certainly be more economics! arrange for this work to be do
Sber 13, 1896.
nat
for at the rate estimated (1Ł saving of per cent, per annu at least, comparing it with by householders to these private work would also be more efficie do not see that we shoul against strikes, as they occur among the contractor 8. ogojes 88 among private coolies.
The Acting Captain Superintendent of Policed. -I agree with Mr. Ede.
The CAPTAIN SUPERINTE
am not in favour of that
Chinese, like to make arrangements they know. After all it is a good deal of licence to give to coolies Unless y sure of the men you may lot in thieves or they may become thieves, bae Ansil off et vinbriqui
Mr.-EDE I think people can make their own arrangements more conveniently de All have to do is to insist upon registration: beric
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH –1 doz that sort, slk bar dine preordsTusenfall not think the time is opportune for a change of
The PRESIDENT This matters basi brought before the Board very strikingly dorló ing the last week'ör sɗ! It is quite truestlinta householders have made arrangements for the removal of nightsoil from their houses, with the exception of the Peak, where it has been done for some years past by contract but recently a strike occurred amongst those "cooliese employed by householders and T do not think" that the removal of nightsoll by contract would be in the least distasteful to the com munity in general; in fact Tunderstan
Mr. EDE-The foreman of a gang did it question but it is desirable to make such arrange. ] some of them aré in' favour of it."The duty.
lately.
The PRESIDENT-Acting under the instruc- tions of the Board.
Mr. EDE-No, I do not think so. The CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE said the Board must take all responsibility. Everything would depend on the nature of the work to be done.
Mr. EDE-I understand there is likely to be some opposition in regard to this, and it would be well to be clear on the point.
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH-I do not know whether you would rather put it "Any officer of the Sanitary Board specially suthorised."
Mr. EDE-In the previous by-laws it was laid down that authority in writing must be given in each specific case.
ments as will effectually prevent a repetition of the very serions inconvenience to which practi- cally every ratepayer in Victoria was recently put, to say nothing of the danger to the public health of the colony. It would be a com- paratively easy matter to draw up a contract on the lines set forth in the proposal which has been made, and there are of course many things to be said in favour of such an arrangement.
the removal of nightsoil in most European cities and towns devolves dupons municip authorities and I think it is clearly the duty of the Sanitary Board to see that the night oil is removed from premises. There is sometimes a dificulty now in getting the soil removed, and I have reason to believe that in many! cases it is removed only once ined twol days. In some offers of prices we received! there were prices for removing ofice in two days, showing clearly that once in two days is considered quite sufficient. There are many persons two or three have applied to me whe are willing to do the work by contract, and cto. have one man to deal with would be every much better than dealing with 400 coolies as is the case at present I think lomysi with one responsible person who would lube bound in *süfficient securities, the experi would be a great success, At the present time! if a strike occurs we are practically helple know that in one instance 159 tons of nightsoil were removed, and such a state of uthing not satisfactory, especially in the hot weather! I therefore move" that" thẻ Secretary, infcon41- junction with the Medical Officer nof, Health, be instructed to prepare specifications withou view to obtaining tenders for the removal of nightsoil from the city of Victori
The CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDEN
second that. thing to have the if, as is hot unlik bring
The PRESIDENT—In ordinary circumstances; be to enter into a contract to carry out this self that "if a contract was "entered into these are extraordinary circumstances.
Mr. EDE did not think the officers should have general authority to go round and do as they thought fit.
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH-If,the Medical Officer of Health has to go round and give sanction in each case you would have to employ siz Medical Officers of Health. There were sometimes between a hundred and two hundred cases a day; each gang had several floors and there were nine or ten gangs working.
~Thể PRESIDENT—Somebody must have the power to do this.“
"To my mind, the chief objection to it would be that the contractor would be entitled to collect fees from householders, not as a matter of arrangement between the householder and the contractor, but as a matter of right by the latter under the terms of his contract. I there fore think a much more preferable plan would work and levy such ́a rate as will meet the cost of doing the work. This rate would, as a mattor of course, be collected at the same time as other rates, so that for all practical purposes the cost of collection would be nothing.
"If the work was done in a systematic manner by a contractor I think some 400 men would be sufficient. This would mean a monthly outlay of close on $3.000 or, as a rough ap proximation, $35,000 a year. A rate of 1t per cent. would yield $37,750 a year, which would give a surplus of $2,750 for contingencies, a sum which I do not think is too much for Mr. EDE What I say is that the powerch a purpose in what would be practically a should not be given to subordinate officers. new undertaking. As a matter of fact, the MEDE was then understood to allow his present conservancy contractor pays $28,444 objection to fall
a year, for his contract, so that in reality for the conservancy of the city on the lines in dicated above an additional $7,000 a year would cover the cost thereof. fans of aged ***'No doubt any increase to the rates will be met by adverse criticism in the usual way with British subjects, but in this case the increase would only be an apparent increase inasmuch as: an equal if not a higher rate is now being paid as a part of the household monthly expenditure
qui aura lus bel and oxo to drag a the servants Apart altogether from the question of cost likhe is the important question of an efficient organ deser nised system, of doing the requireduzwork that This Psubmit can only be attained by the plan
have recommended or some modification of it common
The PRESIDENT then moved that the by-laws be sent to the Colouial Secretary with the request that they be submitted to the Legislative Council for approval,
ME
Carried?" Jou end intensi)-02->roti It was also resolved to forward to the Colo- nial Secretary thetorānāum which had been drawu up by the Medical Officer drawing the attention of the Board to the conditions under hich officer of the Board might enter pre- Ffront lo risqorg
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THE COLLECTION OF NIGHT SOIL “The Secretary Wrote the following minute with reference to the recent strike amongst migati SY YARO TOT TEMU risqa tans vilken
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has of course no action would" "be" "better" to to terms. for saying Lagree with to terms or they do not
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