#4
October 12, 1901.] .
dollars to thirty-five dollars a square foot; but the taxation of Hongkong is "light compared with that of other colonies, and sooner or later the question of the "abatement of surface overcrowding must
be vigorously dealt with."
&
壶壶
This Report was laid on the table of the Sanitary Board at its meeting on the 3rd inst., at which the most important subject for consideration was the draft of a Bill to restrict the height of buildings. The passage of this Bill which required con- sideration was the following:
16
K
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
305
THE GAGE STREET MURDER,
and was supported by Dr. ATKINSON, the P.C.M.O. In disagreement with Dr. CLARK, the Acting Director of Public Works (Daily Press, 9th October.) supported the passage, and his motion On the 10th January this year a school- that the Government should pass the Bill master, by name YEUNG KU: WAN, was immediately was carried by a majority of shot in his school-room on the first floor of four to two. Thus we have the spectacle of | 52, Gage Street, in this Colony. The assas three acting officials -- two of whom were sin, after firing four shots from a revolver unable to express any real opinion on the at his victim, got away unseen, and escaping subject, though they voted with Mr. the vigilance of the police fled to the main- CHATHAM because his official persistency land. "A reward of $500 was immediately apparently induced them to do so--
-- stultify offered to any person giving evidence lead. ing the carefully prepared statement of Siring to the conviction of the murderer, but "Provided that the provisions of this HENRY BLAKE to Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. We without apparent avail. The investigations Section shall not apply to any building can bardly imagine that the Acting of the police, which were of course carried on with the greatest possible secrecy, elicited the height of which, at the date of the Director of Public Works on his own passing of this Ordinance, exceeds one-responsibility dared to thwart--by support.the fact that the murderer, was not the only "and-a-half times the width of the street ing abortive legislation, which even the not hesitated to upon which it fronts, nor to any building Attorney-General had erected in substitution for any such question-the "building."
this plague-stricken Colony, the pre It appears that the Acting Attorney.vention of the densest overcrowding in General in presenting the draft Bill to His the world Are the manifest vital needs Excellency felt it necessary to point out that of this Colony, and H.E. the Governor's the passage in question must have been based on some misconception, and he minuted that if the provision as to one-and-a-half times the width of the street was not to apply to the re-erection of buildings, the only improve- ment effected by clause 2 of this Bill upon the provisions of Section 6 of Ordinance 34 of 1899 was that clause 2 of this Bill prevented the raising of existing houses to over one-
*
and-a-half times the width of the street.
most needed reform in
the case
|
The
man implicated, and that the crime was of a political nature. YEUNG KU WAN, through British subject, was patriotically interested in the future of China, and his connection with the Reform party was well known. It will be remembered that just after the commission of the murder a correspondent confirmation thereon to the Home Govern-wrote to us from Canton, calling attention ment, to be trified with and opposed by to a proclamation issued by H. E. TAK three officials acting in a senior capacity? It Sow, then Acting Viceroy of the Kwang can therefore only be assumed that their provinces, in which a handsome reward action was inspired. The motion of Mr.
was offered for YEUNG KU WAN, alive or CHATHAM was passed on a catch vote, for dead. The statement created some sensa- there is no doubt whatever that, had Mr. tion at the time in the Colony, although no OSBORNE and Colonel HUGHES, and even doubt the authorities were previously well Mr. MAY, been present, the Medical Officer acquainted with the facts of the case. of Health would have been supported. It attitude of the local Chinese themselves was seems scarcely credible that the Government, shown in the reluctance manifested by them to allow their names to be con- after eight years' experience of plague, can seriously contemplate the introduction of nected with the fund raised for the legislation which is directly aimed at the benefit of YEUNG's wife and family, subscrip- perpetuation of the present excessive height tions to which were forwarded to this office. of buildings in narrow streets.
Certain Chinese did not hesitate to say that they dared not give money, the deceased being an enemy of the Chinese Imperial YEUNG's funeral, neverthe- Government. less, was very largely attended, and the Since gympathy expressed was very wide. then the affair has sunk out of public notice, though it was surmised that the British Government was not altogether inactive in the matter. No tangible results have followed, however, until about the Now a beginning of the present month. correspondent writes to us from Canton, informing us that the man who actually fired the shots at the unfortunate school- master has been executed; the precise date of execution is not given. Before the infliction of the death penalty, the Chinese officials addressed the man, saying: You The wretch's know what you have done."
For obeying your dying words were: commands you take my life. I cannot die The murderer, our with my eyes shut." correspondent states, was anxious to be delivered over to the British Government for punishment, but was unable to have his The writer adds other desire gratified. details, the publication of which may be unadvisable at the moment, and furnishes a list of officials whom he charges with com- We may mention, plicity in the crime. however, that some of them are of very high rank. We said in January, at the time of the crime, that if the complicity in the out. rage of the Acting Viceroy TAK Sow was established, he was unfit for the office he held. He is no longer in so exalted a station, but this furnishes no reason for his immunity from punishment if he had any- thing to do with the affair-as in view. of his proclamation he can hardly be held not are unable to say to have done. We whether the home authorities have taken any steps in the matter, but the grossness of the offence against British territorial rights most certainly demands that it shall by no means be passed over..
The only member of the Sanitary Board who was entitled to speak with authority on the subject was, of course, the Medical Officer of Health, who for several years past has been consistently advocating a reduction in the height of buildings used as dwelling-houses, to reduce the terrible sur- It was stated at the Board meeting that face-crowding which prevails in this Colony. the object of the proposed Bill was to put a In fact, Hongkong now occupies the disast- limit to the present very common plan of rous notoriety of being the most overcrowded further increasing the surface crowding by city in the world! In referring to the raising additional stories on existing houses. draft Bill Dr. CLARK pointed out a by no If this is to be so it seems to us that the means exhaustive list of ninety-three streets clause suggested by the Medical Officer and lanes in the city of Victoria in which of Health will amply meet. buildings now exceed the limit in height of without any necessity for enacting that one-and-a-half times the width of the street; lofty buildings in narrow streets may also that the proposed legislation would be re-crected practically to the same height barely touch the fringe of this serious ques-as at present. It is a matter for great tion of "surface-crowding." There are two regret that the Government, after more districts in the Colony which now have over than three years of persistent agitation on 800 people to the acre! To show really the the part of the Sanitary Board, has not effect of this curious passage in the draft yet seen its way to limit the height of new Bill referred to by the Acting Attorney-buildings to one and-a-half times the width That General we cannot do better than quote of the street on which they front. Dr. CLARK's own words:
such legislation is more than justifiable is "It proposes to prevent any further amply demonstrated by the terms of the "increase in the height of existing buildings Glasgow Buildings Regulation Act of 1900, which may already exceed one-and-a-half quoted by our evening contemporary, which "times the width of the street on which they provides that after a lapse of two years all front, but it also contains a proviso to dwelling-houses which do not have a space the effect that any house which is re-built in front equal to three-quarters the height may be re-erected to its present height. of the building may be absolutely closed It is just such "That is to say, that if we have now a four to human habitation.
this which is required or five-storied house fronting on a narrow legislation as
for many buildings "street (and I have shown in my minute in this Colony, "that there are many such) that that house have been erected to the most excessive can again be erected to the same height, heights in relation to the open space adjoin- although the street still remains extremely ing them, and the only remedy appears to "narrow, and the dangers of overcrowding be to prohibit by law such houses as dwell- will thus be perpetuated for another 20 to ings until such alterations have been made 30 years (which is the ordinary life of a as will reduce their height to within more We trust that H.E. Chinese house in this. Colony). In other reasonable limits.
with his
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[4
LE
64
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words, the Bill practically proposes to the Governor, in harmony
“ continue the status quo. We have at the Report, will promptly move the deletion
41
56
present moment an enormous amount of of the passage which was objected to by surface-crowding in this City of Victoria, the Medical Officer of Health and the " and this Bill will do nothing whatever to Principal Civil Medical Officer, and that nitigate it. It may possibly prevent its at least one of the Unofficial Members "becoming much worse, but it will do of Council will ask that any contemplated legislation dealing with the excessive height absolutely nothing to remedy it,
Consequently Dr. CLARK opposed the of buildings shall be modelled on the adoption of this passage in the draft Bill Glasgow Act already quoted.
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£4
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