344
amount for the purpose of meeting large drafts by the Crown Agents for expenditure on behalf of the colony in this country, I have caused them to be directed, pending further instruc tions, to draw $50,000 overy fortnight, begin ning about the middle of this month, so that they will have money in hand in advance of their requirements, and not have to make very large drafts at any time. If, however, a further sum is still occasionally required by them they will telegraph to you, stating that they propose to draw such larger amount.'
DES-
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held- Dr. Atkinson (Prin- at the offices on 28th Oct. cipal Civil Medical Officer) presided, and there were also present Hon. R. D. Ormsby (Director of Public Works). Dr. Clark (Medical Other of Health), Mr. N. J. Ede, and Mr. H. McCallum (Secretary).
[November 4, 1897,
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH replied that he did not think there would be any such difficulty.
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS-These
would be well to point out other places they people are very old and poor and I think it can go iuto,, otherwise the result may be the very opposite of what we wish, and these creatures inay crowd into over-crowded dwell. ings. I do not yet know much about the colony, but I think we ought to know of The minutes of the last meeting were rend some other places to which these people can and confirmed.
go before we send them out of their present homes.
61
MINUTES,
THE HEIGHT OF BUILDINGS IN TAIPING-
SHAN.
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The SECRETARY-They can find lodgings in the neighbourhood without any difficulty.
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH-There are only about a hundred people altogether.
Mr. EDE asked if there were any more of such dwellings, as the Board might have to take similar steps in regard to them.
EXTRACIS FROM COLONIAL OFFICE
The minutes were read of a confidential moet- PATCH NO. 57 OF 30TH MARCH, 1893. "I have the honour to inform you that asing of the Board, at which some discussion arose only two Banks in the colony are employed in respect of plans which were laid on the table of certain building lots in Taipingshan. for the custody of Government funds. I am willing that the instructions given in my pre-
The President moved and the Medical Offleer decessor's despatch No2 of 10th October, of Health seconded the following resolution :—
That the Colonial Secretary be informed that The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH said 1890, should be modified to the following extent.
there were others, but they were more or less The maximam bylauces,] $350,000, may be the Board do not feel justified in consenting to divided between the two Banks, provided that any departure from the rules laid down in isolated, whereas the ones in question conld not more than $200,000 remains in the Hong- Section 12 of Ordinance 15 of 1894 for regula-be replaced by a row of houses.
Mr. EDE seconded the resolution. kong and Shanghai Bank, an not more than ting the heights of buildings with respect to
Carried. $150,000 in Chartered Bank of India, Australia the building lots in question." All the mem- and China. It will therefore be necessary for bars, with the exception of the Director of Public Works, voted for the resolution, which you to further reduce the balances in the
was therefore carried. former Bunk.
"As regards your remark that it is necessary to have large balances in order to meet occasional large drafts by the Crown Ageuts, I have to refer you to the fifth paragraph of Lord Kuuts. ford's despatch No. 222 of 10th October, 1890, which shows that there is no need to accumulate excessive balances for this purpose, if only ar- rangements are made with the Crown Agents to make small drafts periodically so that they may have money in hand in advance for all their requirements."
EXTRACTS FROM COLONIAL OFFICE DESPATCH No. 169 of 20TH OCTOBER, 1893.
I have the honour to inform you that I see no reason for modifying the instructions relative to the Government balances in the local Banks, laid down in my despatch No. 57 of the 30th of March last and in my predecessor's despatch No. 222 of 10th October, 1890.
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PLAGUE IN BOMBAY,
The official returns showed that from the 15th to the 30th September there were 1-47 enses of plague and 99 deaths in Rombay.
INSANITARY SQUATTERS' DWELLINGS. A petition was forwarded by the holders of Squatters' licences at Shankiwan Hillside in re- ference to all order calling upon them to construct house drains in their honses. The petitioners pointed out that the houses were
scattered hero und there and there was }}} difficulty in constructing drains on a combined system. The petitioners therefore prayed the Board to send an officer to show how the drainage could be carried out and to inform them of the probable cost of the work..
MORTALITY STATISTICS, For the week ended 16th October the rate of mortality was 16.3 per 1.000 per annum, as compared with 15,3 for the corresponding period of last year.
The following minute was appended by the President notice one death from simple continued fever. I always thought this a non- fatal disease.
For the week ended 23rd October the rate was 15.2. For the corresponding period of last year the rate was 19.6.
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH, in reply to the President's minute, said as a matter of fact two deaths were recorded from simple con- tinued fever. One occurred in the civil popula- tion, the victim being a non-Chinese infant under one month old. This case was certified by a medical man. The other case was that of a Chinese girl under fifteen years of age, which In a minute the Secretary said he had seen the whole of the petitioners, who had no money.
was certified by the District Inspector at Kow- The average earnings per family were, he
loon. He (the Medical Officer of Health) signed the certificate in this case, which was pro- felt sure, under. $8 a mouth; a fox familiesbably one of malarial fever. received under $5 a month 6.va. holders were over sixty years of age.
the
more than $50 each and something like $1,500 would cover the cost of resum-
ing the land. If a little money was spent. in laying out the ground it would sell at a mo. derate Crown rent, and there would not be much of a loss to the Government in a money sense and there would be a gain in a sanitary sense.
"I have also received your despatch No. 178
of the petitioners would admit that he of the 5th ultimo, from which it appears that
could raise $10 towards improving his hold. the total balances had by the end of Augusting. The dwellings were probably not worth increased to nearly $670,000 or more than $100,000 beyond the amount specified in your despatch of the 28th of August, and over $300,000 in excess of the authorized limit. I have accordingly authorized the Crown Agents to draw upon the Hongkong Government for the sum of three hundred thousand dollars and to draw further from time to time on receipt of telegraphic instructions from you as suggested in the last paragraph of your despatch of the 28th of August. The sums thus remitted to England will be temporarily employed by the Agents for the benefit of the Hongkong Go- vernment, until the money, or part of it, is required to meet their expenditure in this country on behalf of the colony.
"It is impossibly to foretell the course of ex- change, or to foresee whether this process of re- mitting the surplus balances to this country will result in gain or in loss to the colony; but the only alternative course, which I should be pre- pared to approve, is that described in the last paragraph of my predecessor's despatch No. 229 of the 10th of October, 1890, namely, to place the surplus in a Government safe where it will earn no interest, but will at any rate be free from the risk of loss owing to unforeseen changes in the rate of exchange.
All the members, with the exception of the Director of Public Works, wrote recommending that the Government resume and lay ont the land for building purposes.
or
The Director of Public Works, in his minute, said that possibly the occupiers or owners would, under pressure, carry out the work make the dwellings fit for habitation at a less expense than that estimated by the Government Engineer. The petitioners should at least have a chance of doing so and he suggested that six months should be allowed them.
DEFECTIVE DRAINS.
The Surveyor reported on the condition of the drains at the Homestead, Mount Kellett. He considered the drainage of the house was defective and recommended that the owners be called upon to redrain in accordance with the provisions of the Public Health Ordinance.
It was resolved to act on the Surveyor's sug- gestion.
THE SALE OF UNWHOLESOME
FOOD AT AUCTIONS.
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH asked.
for the authority of the Board to condemn a number of cases of condensed milk which had been seized by his instructions in two shops in Queen's Road West. He had opened several of the tins and the contents were all bad.
The Board granted the necessary authority. The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH added that he did not intend to prosecute as he` consi- dered the loss of the tins was a sufficient penalty. He thought the Board might with great ad- vantage take action in regard to the sale of food unfit for human consumption by auctioneers. Tins of milk, tins of biscuits, and other things, which were practically condemned stores from ships in the harbour, were sent to auction rooms and shopkeepers went and bought the stuff on the off chance that it was eatable and they then sold it in their recommenda- Ha thought some the shops.
tion should be made to the Government that such food should be unsaleable at anctions. It could only be sold as food and it ought not to be sold.
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH, in the discussion which ensued, said it would be better, having regard to the growing population of Shaukiwan, for the Government to resume the land and lay it out for building purposes. The dwellings were all poorly built of rubble with earthen floors, and there was no drainage. They were dotted here and there on hill side. It appeared from the papers that "The restrictions placed on the amounts of
Crown leases had been granted to the owners the bank balances are imposed net for the sake because they had squatted there for a number of profit, but of greater security, and, as I have
of years and it was felt they had some claim to said above, I see no reason for modifying the
the land. He thought the time was now come instructions of my predecessor that the aggre for the Board to recommend that these dwell- gate of unsecured balances must not exceed $350,000, whether that amount be divided beings be demolished and the land laid out in a tween three or only two banks."
Since the starting of the Shanghai Crema torium, two human corpses have been in- cinerated, the first being that of a child and the second that of the late master of a sailing vessel whose ashes are to be taken to the United States,'
proper manner and habitable dwellings erected thereon. He therefore moved that the papers be forwarded to the Colonial Secretary for the information of His Excellency, the Governor with the recommendation he had just made.
The PRESIDENT said he supposed there would be no difficulty in finding temporary habitations for the people..
I
Mr. EDE said he did not think it was possible to make a general rule because many stores from the ships were sent off because the captain did not want to have bad stuff at sea, although
would be all right when it was landed.
it
The MEDICAl Officer of HEALTH said he knew it was a difficult question to deal with. '
The matter then dropped
ADJOURNMENT,
The Board adjourned until next Thursday
week.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.