126
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Was
(August 10, 1901, --Mr. -OBBORNE—I cannot support the Vice- that are made in a memorandum on a petition ‡ oleansings were that (1) an effort was made at President because I think this matter has dated 20th June, 1901, which was" drawn | intervals to persuade the Chinese to go in for already been discussed, and I believe the up and sent to the Government, and has since special cleansing (2), the times selected were majority of the members generally were of been made public. I consider that there suited to the idiosyncrasies of the Chinese (3), opinion that it would be to the interest of are statements in that the colony if these inspectors were properly which are
memorandum the cleansing throughout the City housed. It would be to the interest of the and other statements which are misleading, the Board invites me to take will have no useful not in accordance with facts, simultaneous. In my opinion, the notion which colony if we could get a superior class of and it was my first intention to call for a result. The whitewashing in each district is inspectors, and make it worth while for good complote list of the whole of the recommenda-spread over two months; there is therefore no men to come out from home. No man will tions of the Sanitary Board for the past ten simultaneous cleansing; and any notices issued come out from home on the present pay of in-years, and, side by side in parallel columns, to by the Registrar-General will not fall part, spectors, with a nominal allowance of $30 a give a list of those that have been given effect as it were, but may refer to something which is month for house rent. Therefore, if you want But that would have involved a vast to happen in a mouth or six weeks. Further, good men, you must either pay them more or amount of work, and I limited my motion the times selected in each district are those provide them with decent, respectable quarters. to these three important items. This return These men
which suit the Board and not the Chinese in the past have been housed I don't propose to speak upon at the present | population. in ordinary Chinese houses situated in
The Registrar-General's notices moment, as I shall have crowded, filthy Chinese slums.
an opportunity would be issued six times a year instead of twice, It is not later on of embodying it in a conducive either to the health or
communica and would therefore lose much of their force." welfare tion I intend to make to the Governor of the colony that they should be housed like
MESSRS, BUTTERFIELD AND SWIBE's plagu on the statements made in that memoran- Chinese. You caunot compare these men to
HOSPITAL-INSPECTOR KOBERTSON'S dum-statements which reflect on the Sanitary the police servants. The police, the military, Board and which impute negligence to the and the gaol servants are under a great deal Board in the conduct of the sanitary affairs of more control than these men are.
this colony. I now move that this return be printed and circulated, and copies sent for the information of H.E. the Governor.
Mr. BREWIN-Hear, hear.
Mr. OSBORNE-These men have to go out alone, they have great powers thrust upon them, and you want men of discretion who can best use these powers. In the gaol, and police, and military almost every unit has got a superior officer immediately over him; these men have not. Therefore I say you want a better class of men than you have for the gaol, police, or military.
After further remarks from Mr. MAY the motion was put to the meeting and carried Mr. Osborne voted against it.
REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS,
A reply was submitted from Government relative to the Board's recommendations re- garding the enforcement of the law bearing on the registration of births. The reply, which was dated 3rd August, was to the effect that the Registrar-General will issue a notice calling attention to the law bearing on the registration of births, and will instruct the district watchmen to bring to notice cases of its infraction, while the Captain Superintendent of Police will instruct the police to endeavour to obtain evidence on which to prosecute cases of infraction."
The papers were laid on the table.
ADDITIONAL MARKET, LATRINES, AND URINALS.
Mr. OSBORNE, pursuant to notice, asked for the production by the Medical Officer of Health, or by the Secretary, of a statement showing what recommendations the Board and its officers have made during the past two years in respect of the following matters, and how far such recommendations have been carried out :-
J. Additional markets.
2. Additional public latrines. 3. Additional public urinals.
A statement had been prepared by Dr. Clark and the Secretary dealing at length with the recommendations of the Board in the matters referred to by Mr. Osborne.
|
to.
Dr. CLARK-I beg to second Mr. OSBORNE'S motion. for the inaccuracy of some of the statements I am personally prepared to vouch made in the memorandum. reference is made to myself in one of these In particular, a statements which practically implies —
The PRESIDENT-Excuse me, you are getting away from the point.
Dr. CLARK-Well, I beg to second the
resolution.
Mr. MAY-It is somewhat peculiar to hear Mr. Osborne objecting to the Sanitary Board being called inefficient and its working in general called into question, seeing ho was one of the signatories to the petition to the Secretary of State a petition which stated that nothing had been done in sanitary matters for twenty yours, and which damns the Sanitary Board, damas the Government, and damns everyone who has anything to do with the Sanitary affairs of the colony.
Mr. OSBORNE, who had been looking over the statement drawn up in reply to question, here rose and objected to the form his
it had taken. It would convey absolutely nothing to the public, he said, and he wanted ay much publicity given to
the statement as had been given to the memorandum. "The return I have asked for,' concluded, “is a statement showing what Mr. Osborne recommendations the Board and its officers have made during the past ten years. This is a statement merely showing a summary of these recommendations."
19
If you
The PRESIDENT—It is a statement of the matter in a condensed form. I am afraid you give to the public of Hongkong credit for a great deal more interest in sanitary matters than they really possess, imagine they are going to sit down and wado through pages of extracts of Sanitary Board minutes and recommendations, and so on. I am bound to say that I do not think your expecta- tions will be realised.
Mr. OSBORNE's motion was then put to the
PROPOSED NEW LATRINE.
Dr. CLARK, pursuant to notice, moved that the Board beg to recommend that a public latrine of forty seats be erected on that site of Crown land which is situated on the west side of Gillies Avenue, Hunghom, and to the south of Hunghom Inland Lot 233.
Markets. Under this heading it was shown that:-Western market was extensively repaired in 1897, New Western market commenced in 1901. Plans of new Saiyingpoon Market approv-meeting and carried. ed by Bard in October, 1895; not bullt. Plans for extension of Shaukiwan Market approved by Board in November, 1895; small matshed ex- tension erected in 1897. Plan of a new market at Taikokisni approved by the Board 30th June, 1898; new market opened 1st January, 1899, Plaus for extension of Wanchai Market ap- proved by Board 11th July, 1901. Erection of new market at Kowloon Point estimated to cost 881,000, and $5,000 voted for preparation of site this year. Plans of additional temporary. markets for city approved by Board 11th July, 1901. Expenditure approved in connection with additional stalls for Sakonpo market. Expenditure approved in connection with eight additional stalls to Yaumati Market 26th June, 1901.
Latrines and Urinals.—A glance at the details given under this head shows that the Board has not been remiss either in making recommendations or in carrying them out. Ten thousand dollars for additional urinals and $12,000 for additional latrines is to be inserted in the estimates for 1902.
Mr. OSBORNE said-This motion had its origin in consequence of certain statements
The PRESIDENT seconded, and the motion was carried.
CLEANSING OF CHINESE HOUSES.
Further correspondence was laid on the table dealing with the cleansing of Chinese houses. The file had been referred back to the Board by H.E. the Governor with reference to a minute by Mr. A. W. Brewin, Registrar. General. The minute, which was dated 16th July and was addressed to the Colonial Secre- tary, was as follows:-" The general cleansing you referred to in your minute of 3rd July, 1901, was carried out every six months at times selected by the Registrar-General in order to suit the Chinese. It was not compulsory, but was very effective. At last meeting I tried to persuade the Board to encourage these half-yearly cleansings, but Was un- csucessful. The points about these general
REPORT.
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Butterfield and Swire relative to Inspector Correspondence was submitted from Messrs.
Robertson's report on their letter dated 10th Jnne. 'I hat letter, it may be remembered, con! tained reference to a Connected with the death of a woman at Quarry
'distressing incide it
by the Sanitary Board officials during the Bay, whose body was removed to Kennedytown
procure a coffin and bearers. `· absence of the husband, who had gone to
Briefly, Inspector Robertson's report was to the following effect:-(1) The woman died in the hospital, and not at Quarry Bay. (2) The body was removed by the hospital officials.
In their reply to that report, Messrs. Butterfield and swire forwarded to the Board copies of statements made by Dr. Kwan, who saw the body of the deceased woman, Mr. Chan Fai Kwong, a student at the Quarry Bay hospital, and Mr. George Morphew, also connected with the hospital, both of whom were removal of the body. Mr. Chan Fai Kwong aware of the circumstances connect.d_with the stated that he told an Indian sergeant who wanted to remove the body that he could not do it unless be had the husband's permission. The sergeant answered-" Never mind the
the body." | husband; if he comes tell him that I removed
Mr. Morphow, in bearing out this statement, said that when he arrived at the hospital he was told that the sergeant insisted on taking the bodies away, and that the student in charge, the coolies the two slips of paper that are seeing that further protests were useless, gava usually attached to bodies taken away.
that the correspondence submitted by Messrs. The Secretary minuted that he did not see Butterfield and Swire proved that Inspector Robertson's report was not in accordance with facts.
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Mr. May minuted: ·It is perfectly clear that the bodies were not removed by the S.B. officials in the distressing manner described in (sic). But they haven't the courage to admit it.” Messrs. B. & 8.'s hysterical letter to the Press
SANITARY SURVEYOR'S APPLICATION FOR LEAVE OF ABSENCE.
It was intimated that H. E. the Governor had approved an application from Mr. J. J. Bryan, Sanitary Surveyor, for seven weeks' leave of absence.
Mr. Bryan stated in his letter to the Board that since his arrival in the Colony in August, 1897, he had only had five days' leave, that he usually had to work on Bank and Government holidays, and that for the last two months he had been under the treatment of Dr. Lamort for nervous debility.
Dr. Clark has agreed to assume Mr. Bryan's duties duringthe latter's absence from thet, olony.
Dr. Clark minuted: “It will be necessary for the Board to appoint me temporarily as the cor authorised to certify that new buildings are built in accordance with the provisions of the P.M.O."
On the motion of the President, Dr. Clark office. was appointed to fill temporarily Mr. Bryan's
PUBLIC WATER SUPPLIES,
reports on the public water supplies for the
Mr. F. Browne, the Government Analyst's · month of July were laid on the table. Three samples were analysed-one from the Pokfulum service (pumping station, Bonkam Road West), one from the Tytam_service (Hollywood Road) and one from the Kowloon
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.