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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
fact I do not think they are. This of course. disposes of the question of the defendant being a partner in the Fu Shun Tong or not There will therefore be judgment for the defendant, with costs.
HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD,
promissory notes given as security for money borrowed by the Fu Shun Tong, that the forms for these promissory notes were taken from two books of counterfoils produced (exhibits U and V1), that those counterfoils had a character "Wong'
on the edge and a number which ought to correspond with the body of the note. He also stated that exhibits U and Ul. showed that the Fu Shun Tong had only issued 23 promissory notes. On being shown exhibits Akong Sanitary Board was held in the office. On Tuesday afternoon a meeting of the Hong- and B he at once declared them to be forgeries, Dr. J. M. Atkinson, (Principal Civil Medical Officer) occupied the chair, and there were also dent of Police). Mr. N. J. Ede, Dr. F. Clark present Hon. F. H. May (Captain Superinten- (Medical Officer of Health), Mr. Brewin (Acting Registrar-General).
absence of Mr. H. McCallum (Secretary), read The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH, in the
the minutes of the previous meeting, and they were confirmed.
PLAGUE IN BOMBAY.
FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE.
on
The Medical Officer of Health and Mr. C. Vivian Ladds, the committee re the enforcement of bye-laws 6 and 7 schedule A of ordinance 17 of 1887, reported as fol- lows to the Secretary of the Board March 16th:-"We have the honour to report for the information of the Sanitary Board that there has been no decrease in the number of cases of foot and mouth disease which have been imported during the last week. In fact the position is generally the same as when we reported on the 9th inst."
On 23rd March they reported :-"We have the honour to report for the information of the Sanitary Board that cases of foot and mouth disease still continue to come in from the mainland, but that the numbers are somewhat less than on our last report."
March 26, 1898,
with.
Mr. EDE-I think that would do to begin
by Mr. EDE, it was decided that the dairy On the motion of the CHAIRMAN, seconded
owners be written to.
THE FINAL DISPOSAL OF CITY REFUSE On 23rd December Chau Pui, s scavenging contractor, petitioned the Sanitary Board that until the end of November removed the refuse according to clause 18 of his contract he had two miles outside the waters of the colony and deposited it on shore and by sifting the about $300 dollars a month. finer portion of the refuse his boatmen made missioner of Chinese customs had refused to The Com-
allow this refuse to be sifted, and petitioner had consequently to suffer a loss of $300 per month. He applied to the Board to provide a place within British territory whereon to burn and sift refuse, and recommended a piece of vacant ground at Ma Tan Wai.
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH, in his minute, stated that petitioner's state- ment that he had hitherto complied with clause 18 of his contract was not true, and mentioned that besides depositing the rubbish two miles outside the boundaries of the colony. he was also required to place it not less than ten feet above high water mark, and this he had not complied with.
The matter has been fully considered by the Board, and amongst, the papers attached was a report by Mr. Crook, Sanitary Surveyor, on refuse destructors, in which he stated that the average rate of consumption of des- tructors appeared to be 6 to 9 tons of rubbish per day-say an average of 8 tons per cell. To consume 90 tons per day would, therefore, require a total of 11 cells. To con
sume
110 tons per day would require a destructor of 14 cells. The usual method of disposing of the clinker from the destructors in seaport towns at home was to dump it at sea, He also gave some other technical details of the destructors, and stated that he hoped to be returning to England very shortly, and should then have an apportunity of enquiring specially consider such a into the whole subject, and should the Board course necessary he would Government he approached that he might be suggest that H. E. the Officer administering the Sir-anthorised to incur the necessary expense, and ve furnished with such instructions from the Colonial Office as might be deemed advisable..
THE PREVENTION OF DISEASE AMONGST
CATTLE.
inasmuch as the number on them were above 23 and the character was “ chi " not "wong,” and the chops were outer counter chops and not inner counter chops. He also denied the genuineness of the note produced by Li Tsat (exhibit R) for the same reasons. A number of other promissory notes were shewn to him which he declared to be genuine. These all hore the inner counter chops and agreed in number and character with the counterfoils (exhibit U and U1). He also explained that the Tls. 300 referred to by Li Tsat was not a
From a report showing the progress of the loan to the Fu Shun Tong but a payment on
plague in Bombay from 1st to 15th February account to that, firm for a lottery station, it appeared that 2,615 cases were reported and and produced an entry in the Fu Shun 2,419 deaths, being a daily average of 1744 cases Tong book to that effect. In cross-examina-reported and 166 deaths. tion he denied that he was a partner in the Wing UI firm. but from a letter (exhibit A. A), which he admitted having written, I am doubtful about this. In other parts of his cross- examination also his evidence was somewhat shaken. A man named Pat Chong Cho is then called who was employed at the Wing UI and he gave evidence that the sums of $3,000 and -$2,000 alleged to have been taken by Chan Tai Shang from the plaintiff to the defendant at the Fu Shun Tong were really taken by him to the Wing UI. This evidence is to support one of the lines of defence, viz., that the loan was to the Wing UI and not to the Fu Shun Tong. Tsoi Hon Shing; the accountant of the Fu Shun Tong, was called to deny the authen- ticity of the notes sued on, and also to state that he gave the outer counter chops to Tso Cheung, who wanted to fabricate promissory notes to assist the syndicate in their endeavours to get back the money deposited with the Chinese authorities. This evidence was also to support the suggestion
The Colonial Veterinary Surgeon (Mr. Vivian of the defence that exhibits A, B, and R, which Ladds), writing on March 12th as to the un- were alleged to be chopped with the outer desirability of having large cattle sheds in counter chops, were the handiwork of Tso close proximity to each other, said: Cheung. The above is the evidence for the have the honour to recommend that the follow- defence in outline. The first question then asing matters be brought under the consideration it seems to me is, are exhibits A, B, and R, of the Sanitary Board. genuine promissory notes given by the Fo Shun as described, or are they forgeries, whether made by Tso Cheung or not? If they are genuine then comes the question, were they given by the defendant as a partner in the Fo Shun Tong? If they are forgeries this last question does not arise. The plaintiff of course contends that the pro- missory notes, chopped with the inner counter chop are forgeries and were made for the pur- poses of this suit. In deciding this question it is well to look at the evidence produced on both sides. The plaintiff and Chan Tai Shang and Tso Cheung support each other, but I must say that Tso Cheung in the witness box is a very unsatisfactory witness and did not impress me favourably. With reference to Ho Wy son, another consideration comes in. This witness is a British subject and a solicitor practising in the courts of this colony and as such in an ordinary way his evidence would be entitled to great weight, but unfortunately he has admitted that in a matter closely con- nected with the present case and to suit his ends he (a British subject) in a written com- munication to the Colonial Secretary of this colony, with the avowed intention of deceiving that official and Her Majesty's Consul at Canton, did not hesitate to stoop to falsehood and deceit. The witness, I am glad to say, admitted his error and the fact that no respectable solicitor would have acted as he had done, and expressed his regret for big conduct. However that may be, the fact still remains that such conduct must render it necessary to view any evidence that he has given with suspicion. The defendant's case as it seems to me rests primarily upon the question as to whether all promissory notes issued by the Fu Shun Tong ought to bear the inner counter shops and correspond with the counter foils U and Ul. After careful consideration of the evi. dence I am of opinion that I cannot accept the plaintiff's promissory notes as genuine and in
Owing to the common occurrence of outbreaks of infectious and contagious disease amongst cattle upon the mainland I am of opinion that a warning notice should be issued to all cow- keepers and dairymen in the colony, which might be worded somewhat as follows:-
In view of the frequent outbreaks of cattle disease which occur all over the Kwang Tung province, and elsewhere upon the mainland, the owners of dairy cattle in the colony of Hong- kong are advised by the Sanitary Board to consider the wisdom of dividing their herds as much as possible, say into lots of 20 or 30, rather than to tend to gather them together into large numbers, which at present seems to be the general custom.
Hence in the event of infections or contagious disease breaking out at a dairy farm or cowshed the matter could be more easily dealt with and the animals better isolated when in small numbers than in large ones, upart from the loss which might be sustained by owners should disease break ont on premises where all their available animals were housed together."
The following minutes were attached :- The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH sub- mitted :-
:--" Advice given is sound and I think practical, but to those who have already a number of cowsheds adjoining each other the cost of separating them will, I am afraid, prevent its being done. However, that is clearly a matter which the owners of the cattle must determine for themselves."
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC Works—“The proposal seems a good one."
The CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE -“I would write to the dairyowners instead of issuing a notice."
The CHAIRMAN asked if any gentleman wished to make any remarks on this subject, It would be seen that the Captain Superintend- ent of Police suggested that the dairy owners should be written to on the matter.
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Mr. EDE minuted that it was a good sugges- tion that Mr. Crook should make full enquiries at home and send out a report thereon as soon as possible.
mended that the Government he asked to com- The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH recom-
at home and report to the Board on the matter. mission Mr. Crook to make full enquiries while
The CHAIRMAN said he supposed it would be ment to let Mr. Crook do as he suggested. He necessary for the Board to request the Govern-
moved that the Board take this course.
Mr. EDE seconded and the motion was carried. THE CONVEYANCE OF CASES OF INFECTIOUS
DISEASE.
In consequence of a report from Inspector McDonald that he had been informeed by the Inspector of Water Police that "the launch will not be available for me in future to remove patients, as he has no authority from the Cap- fain Superintendent," Dr. Francis W. Clark' (Medical Officer of Health) made the following recommendation to the Sanitary Board on March 16th:-"Sir, I have the honour to recommend that the Board should obtain a small boat cap- able of containing a patient in an ambulance and one attendant for the removal of cases of infectious disease from Kowloon to the Hospital on this side. It will be seen from the attached correspondence that the Captain Superinten- dent of Police will provide a launch to tow the boat across. I estimate that the cost of such a boat should not exceed $100.”
The following minutes were attached -- The SECRETARY submitted. There are really two points of some importance raised here, viz.,
1.--The removal of soldiers and their camp followers who may be suffering from certain infectious diseases. In view of our military contribution it hardly seems just that the re- moval of such patients should be done at the cost of the colony.
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