1
92
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL.
A meeting of the Hongkong Legislative Council was held in the Council Chamber on 25th July. Present:-
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[July 30, 1988.
cated and brought up in the colony, instead of,side of the Bay the Royal Dutch Petroleum Co., as formerly, being sent to Europe.
Lankat, have already constructed oil tanks, a tin-can factory, store rooms, and a landing wharf. Dwelling houses for the Company's workpeople are now covering both sides of the road from North Point towards Causeway Bay. The new Reformatory, recently decided
is to be erected оп upon,
the slope
"2.-That within the limits of the city of Victoria all available land is being closely built over; houses are rising in height to three, four, and five stories; the consumption of coal instead His EXCELLENCY the ACTING GOVERNOR, of wood is largely increasing as are also manu- Major-General BLACK, C.B. (Officer Com-facturing, industries of various kinds, with the manding the Forces).
result that within the city, even on the upper roads, it is difficult to get the pure air, exercise, and recreation that is essential for the preserva- tion of health in this climate.
Hon. T. SERCOMBE Colonial Secretary).
SMITH (Acting
Hon. W. M. GOODMAN (Attorney-General). Hon. A. M. THOMSON (Acting Colonial Treasurer),
Hon. R. MURRAY RUMSEY (Harbour Master). Hon. R. D. ORMSBY (Director of Public Works).
Hon. F. H. MAY, C.M.G. (Captain Super- intendent of Police).
Hon. C. P. CHATER, C.M.G.
Hon. Ho KAI.
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD.
Hon. E. R. BELILIOS, C.M.G.
Hon J. J. BELL-IRVING.
Hon WEI A YUK.
Mr. J. G. T. BUCKLE (Clerk of Councils).
MINUTES.
The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.
VICTORIA JUBILEE ROAD, HOSPITAL FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN, AND NURSES'
TRAINING INSTITUTE.
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD gave notice of the following question:-Will the Government inform the Council what progress has been made with these works decided upon more than twelve months ago and which were intended to commemorate permanently the completion of the 60th year's reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, also state how the Jubilee Fund is invested and what rate of interest it is earning?
FACTORY ACTS.
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD gave notice of the following question:-In view of the con- struction in the colony of sundry factories under Chinese and European management is it the intention of the Government to enact any portion of the Home Acts respecting female and juvenile labour.
PAPERS. The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table several papers.
FINANCIAL MINUTES.
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY-I have the honour to lay on the table Finance minutes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and to move that they be re- ferred to the Finance Committee.
The ACTING COLONIAL TREASURER-I beg leave to second.
Carried.
THE RECREATION GROUND AT CAUSEWAY BAY.
Hop. T. H. WHITEHEAD-I have great plea- sure in rising to move the resolution which stands in my name. A considerable time before Your Excellency took up the reins of govern ment the movement for the reservation of Cause- way Bay for the purposes of general recreation received your cordial and hearty approval. In support of the motion I will, with Your Excel lency's permission, read the memorial on the subject to our former Governor. The petition was signed by practically the whole community and was sent in to the Government before Sir William Robinson left Hongkong in the begin. ning of the year.
*
"To His Excellency Sir William Robinson, GC.M.G., Governor and Commander-in- Chief of the Colony of Hongkong and Vice-Admiral.
"3.-That the necessity therefore for open spaces outside of the limits of the city is becoming daily more manifest and more urgent, and that the one piece of ground now appro- priated to the use of the public-the area within the Race Course in the Wong-nei-chong valley-is insufficient for the needs and require- ments of the population.
C
4.-That in addition to the civil population there is always present in the colony a garrison of over three thousand men, and, at some period of each year, generally during the winter months, a large naval force is in the harbour of Hongkong for which provision has to be made, and that at such times the accommodation for recreation in the Wong-nei-chong Ground is wholly insufficient and will still be insufficient even after the piece of land to the northward along the banks of the Bowrington Canal has been added thereto.
+
5.-That there is now vacant and unappro- printed at Causeway Bay a limited area of level ground, open to the sea and easily accessible by road, now temporarily used, under permission from the Government, for purposes of recrea- tion; that this piece of ground although open for sale for building purposes for a number of years has remained unsold, the Chinese being apparently still unwilling to move out into that quarter of the city; that even should this neighbourhood ultimately become, contrary to present appearances, a densely populated neigh-❘ bourhood inhabited mainly by Chinese, it will be highly desirable that some sufficient area should be maintained in the midst thereof for purposes of light, of ventilation, of recreation, and as a lung, or breathing space for the locality. The ground now referred to, situate nearly between Jardine's Bazaar and North Poiut, is admirably suited to serve for such a purpose, and its reservation as an open space will not only materially add to the value of the neighbourhood, but it will permanently promote the physical health and happiness of large
numbers of the residents.
"Your petitioners therefore humbly pray : "That in commemoration of the completion of the sixtieth year of Her Majesty's Reign the piece of ground in question, situate at Cause- way Bay, bounded on the north by the Cause- way Bay Boad, on the south and west by the Quarry Bay Road and Inland Lot 1,149 (Kennedy's Stables), and on the east by the Nullah, running from the Quarry Bay Road to the Causeway Road, may be by Ordinance reserved as a public and open space for over, may be called the Queen's Recreation Ground' and may, auder Regulations to be embodied in the Ordinance, be dedicated to the purposes of general public recreation for all nationalities.
"Your petitioners further pray that if, in the future, the present harbour of refuge at Causeway Bay should be reclaimed, then such portion of the newly reclaimed land may be set apart as an addition to the Queen's Recrea- tion Ground as may be sufficient to provide for a further increase to the limited level spaces in the colony available for recreation, which
64
The Memorial and Petition of the under-will in time be again rendered necessary by the
signed Residents of Hongkong. Respectfully showeth :-
"1. That the population of the colony of Hongkong is steadily increasing, each year shewing on the average, an addition to the Chinese population of upwards of six thousand men, women, and children; that the European population is also gradually increasing in num. bers; that from the altered conditions of trade and commerce men are now compelled to remain in the colony for much longer periods than heretofore and are marrying and settling down here with the result that the juvenile popula. tion is very largely augmented, and that a very considerable proportion of them are being edu.
growth of the population.
“And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray, &c., &c., &c.
64
Hongkong, 24th June, 1897."
+
two Since the memorial was drafted, some years ago, the necessity for open space at Canseway Bay has been emphasised by the selection of a site on the west side, in the immediate neighbourho d, for a gigantic cotton spinning, weaving, and dyeing factory which will materially add to the population of the district by the large number of workers-men, women, and children-employed therein, and by the shopkeepers and tradespeople who will follow in their wake. On the other or eastern
of the hill adjoining Causeway Bay on the south, and as the site will hardly afford space enough for adequate recreation of the inmates, it will be all the better if Causeway Bay ground is reserved as an open space. It is impossible to over-estimate the great importance of re- creation in the life of the people. From a physiological point of view the promotion of all forms of muscular exercise is a national good of inestimable value. A well developed body and a well informed mind are necessary part ners for intellectual and material triumphs and nothing contributes so much in their favour as open spaces and outdoor recreation. Mens sana in corpore sano is an old proverb, but I believe that for the preservation of the mens sana the corpus sanum is absolutely essential. The reservation of Causeway Bay as an open space for the purposes of general recreation for all nationalities will promote the physical health and happiness of a large number of residents.
therefore have great pleasure in moving That it is desirable in the interests of the public that the land marked red on the annexed plan should not be let for building purposes but should be, henceforth, reserved as an open space and appropriated for the purposes of recreation, and that the sanction of the Secretary of State should be asked for the introduction of an
Ordinance giving the Governor in Council power to make regulations, from time to time, as to the uses of the land so reserved and to en- force such regulations by suitable penalties," and I earnestly hope the resolution will receive the unanimous support of this Council, as if carried out humanity generally will benefit.
The Hon. Ho KAI-I have much pleasure in seconding the resolution so ably proposed by my honourable friend opposite. After the re- marks which he has made, and after the me- morial which has been sent up to a former Governor and read by the mover of the resolu- tion, I think it will need very little from me to ensure this resolution being unanimously adopted by this Council. venture to think that not one single member of this honourable Council will dispute that Hong- kong will be better from a sanitary point of view with a few more open spaces reserved like the piece of ground we are trying to reserve by this resolution. It seems to me that the younger generation of Hongkong will be very much obliged to us for thinking of their wel- fare in providing an extensive piece of ground for recreation and also where they can take a
little airing after business hours. In seconding this resolution I would only make one condition, and that is that this piece of ground should be reserved for the use of the public strictly, and not made the subject of quarrels between cliques and classes (Hear, hear.) I hope that in re- serving this ground regulations will be drawn up so as to obviate any such quarrels, and that the ground will be reserved truly for the public use without distinction of race, nationality, or class. (Hear hear.)
Carried unanimously.
REPORT OF THE PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE. The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS-With your permission I rise to move the adoption only of a portion of the Public Works Report, namely, the second part, I unfortunately have not had the opportunity of seeing all the mem- bers of the Public Works Committee, and as the question of the site is still unsettled, it is desirable that only the second part of the report should be adopted.
The ACTING-Colonial SECRETARY-I beg to second.
Carried.
NATURALISATION OF CHINESE. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-I beg leave to move the first reading of a Bill entitled an Ordinance for the Naturalisation of Chan Tang Shang,
The ACTING Colonial SecrETARY-I beg to second.
Carried,
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.