}
June 10, 1899.]
PLAGUE AND SANITATION.
(Daily Press, 3rd June.) General BLACK in his farewell speech to
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
community, through its duly elected re- presentatives, in placing the colony in a will cost money, and plenty of it, and ques- reasonably sanitary condition. The work
467
MINING IN THE NEW TERRITORY,
(Daily Press, 7th June.) In his interesting report on the
Gazette
the Legislative Council on his retirement | tions will arise as to how far the cost should the New Territory, published in the 63 of
**
*4
from the Acting Governorship referred to the overcrowding question as follows:- The recurrence of the plague has forced on every thinking man the need of letting light and air into the blocks of Chinese "houses which, full of human beings in many cases, literally stand back to back "in the city of Victoria, containing rooms "into which the sun never enters, and where "the fetid air has no motion. Doctors aud physic, good though they be, by them- "selves are powerless to cure, while sun "and air are a sure preventive, and great as "the task may be of bringing these natural "agents into this reeking mass of humanity "their admission must be secured by law. "A Bill is now before you which I admit "does not go far enough, but it will at the "least be the beginning of a great reform." Six months have passed, the beginning of the great reform referred to by General BLACK is not yet in sight, and we have the plague once again amongst us to re- mind us of our sanitary sins. The Bill introduced last November has apparently been dropped, but it will have to be taken up again, as will be seen from the interesting and valuable debate which took place at the meeting of the Sanitary Board on Thursday. What the colony is suffering from is not so much overcrowding of particular houses or rooms, but surface overcrowding, that is to say, the houses are too closely packed or too high relatively to the open spaces in the shape of streets or Innes The Medical Officer of Health in his report for last year gave a table showing the population per acre in the ten health districts into which the city is divided, from which we take the following figures:-- District Chinese Non-Chinese
No. of Persous
1
Popula. Popula- Acreage
tion
Lion
7,885 420 531
per acre
15.6
21,626
1,152 267
85.3
*
4,294 1,920 158
39.3
23;794
45
568.7
982.3
1,898 22,244 350 23
760 5 612.1
6
17,072
420
23
7
16,380
176 27
- 18,993
148
42
9
24,435 170
7,527
40 296 258
455.7 615.1 30.3
10
113.1
fall on property owners and how far on the public treasury. No scheme can be carried out solely at the cost of the former, for in many cases individual properties cannot be dealt with singly and will have to be re- sumed by the Government in order that certain areas may be dealt with collectively. In other cases landlords have already gotie for the admission of light and air, and such to great expense in effecting improvements
cases may require special consideration. These, however, are details, to be dealt with in due course, but what is of iume iate im- portance is to get the Government to stir itself and make a beginning of dealing with the question, The Bill introduced in Nov- ember seemed to form a reasonably fair basis on which to proceed. Why was the measure dropped?
E
C
$
4
The neglect to deal with the question of overcrowding is not the only crime we have to allege against the Government. For this dense population of a thousand persons to the acre our ornamental rulers obstinately refuse to provide adequate latrine accom- modation. Under such circumstances how can the people live reasonably cleanly lives, even if they want to? Year by year the necessity for latrines has been urged upon the Government, but practically nothing has been done, and the Medical Officer of Health in his last report writes:-"There is still an urgent necessity throughout the colony, and especially in the city of Victoria, for many free public latrines and urinals; provision was, I believe, made "for the erection of two additional fatrines "in the city during the ensuing year; these "would not, however, have sufficed even to keep pace with the rapid increase of the population, so that the city would have been no botter off than heretofore, but unfortunately the expenditure upon these has been disallowed, so that the condition of the cy in this respect is rapidly be coming worse." It is difficult to write tem perately on such criminal neglect on the part of the Government, which cannot plead want of information or error of judgment, but seems deliberately resolved to sin against light. As an instance of the unreasoning obstinacy with which the Government opposes all sugges tions for improvements the fact may also be recalled that it not very long ago refused, for to bring the slaughter-houses under proper the second time, to allow the Sanitary Board regulation and supervision. No reasons were given for the refusal, presumably because there are reasons, or none that can be openly avowed. The Government appears to be wedded to the vicious farming system, and declines to abandon it, however desirable a change may be in the public
C
14
of the 8th April, the Hon. R. D. ORMBBY says:
64
"
A lend mine was worked for
80me
years on the side of Taimoshan, but the working was discontinued for some reason "about six years ago. Galena was also "found near Kowloon, and on the north side of Lantao, and elsewhere. These workings should be examined by a mining expert, and the richness of the ore ascer- "tained. The natives also speak of alluvial "tiu being found, Silver and lead were "worked on the south of the island of "Lantao within recent years, but without
师资
"
44
success financially, possibly due rather to "Chinese official interference and bad management than to the absence of a paying richness in the ore." Application has been made to the Indian Government for the loan of Indian officers to make a detailed survey of the New Territory, which will presumably include a geolo gical survey. It is perhaps not to be anti- cipated that the Territory will be found very rich in minerals, but, as indicated in Mr. ORMSBY's report, minerals do exist, and it is not improbable that some payable mines may be discovered. No doubt appli cations will be received by the Government for prospecting licences-indeed the Gov- ernment has already been approached on the subject, we believe-and a decision will have to be arrived at as to the terms on which such licences and mining rights in general are to be granted.
The Government, we understand, is mak- ing enquiries as to the terms on which mining rights are granted in other colonies and dependencies, and in framing rules the new Indian mining regulations, which have just been notified, will no doubt be taken into consideration: These rules are grouped un er headings of exploring licences, pro- specting licences, and mining leases. Explor- ing licences authorise licensees to search for minerals of all descriptions, but not to mine or quarry, though the surface of unoccupied land may be turned up to 'such a depth as may be sanctioned. These licences run in the first instance for one year; but may be renewed for a similar term; they give no exclusive or preferential rights, but the Government undertakes, in considering rival claims to a subsequent grant of a pros- pecting licence or mining lease, to pay due regardto the operations which have been con- licence the sole right, subject to such con- ducted. Prospecting licences confer on the ditions as may be agreed upon, to mine or quarry. They are granted for one year in the first instance and may be renewed for a further term not exceeding two years where the licensee has been prevented from con- pleting his search by causes other than his own fault. A moderate rent not exceeding one rupee per acre has to be paid for the land covered by the licence and royalties are payable on the ruineral obtained above such quantity as may be allowed to be taken free for experiment. The grant of a pros refusal of a mining lease over the ground i pecting lease entitles the lessee the first
The problem of how to deal with the over-
question provided he applies for the same crowding is a difficult one, it is true, but
or before the determination of his prospec ing that is no excuse for the Government sitting
licences apply only to Government land, and lease. Both exploring and prospecting idly by, nursing its jealousy of the Sanitary Board, and never attempting a solution. It'
no occupied lands may be entered with- is high time the Government abandoned
out the consent of the occupier. For the contemptible attitude it has so long
mining leases the maximum areas of maintained towards the Sanitary Board,
A movement is on foot amongst the Freema. blocks are, in the case of coal, two square restored to that body its legal constitution, ons of Bangkok for the establishment of a and frankly invited the assistance of the Lodge in that city.
164,250 6,950 1,414 The most densely populated metropolitan districts of the city of London are St. James's, Westminster, Whitechapel, and St. George's in the East, but none of these have a population of more than 200 persons to the acre. Yet here in Hongkong, in No. 5 district, which is situated in the centre of the city, we have almost a thousand persons to the acre, and the adjoining dis- tricts, Nos. 6, 7, and 4, are in nearly as bad
A state. With such a density of population, living in rooms into many of which the sun never penetrates and where there is no movement of the air, is it any wonder that plague lingers amongst us and rears its head year after year?
*
be un-
We do not wish to interest. derstood as suggesting that the condition of the slaughter-houses has any connection with the recrudescence of the plague, but ernment's frame of mind the incident, affords an index to the Gov- which, as applied to the overcrowding and a frame of mind latrine questions, is working incalculable harm to the colony, unnecessarily exposing its trade to all the loss and inconvenience its inhabitants to disease and death and entailed by quarantine restrictions at other
ports.
in
miles; oil, one square mile; gold or silver, a quarter of a square mile; metals, half a
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.