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December 1, 1902.J
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
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-and I am sure everyone round this fable that this will bani h plagu from thes› shores will support it-do not pretend to believe
coupled with improvements of areas and thi forever, but what they do hope is that, demolition of houses, which no legislation can will be put into such a condition that plague and over make thoroughly sanitary, this Colony other disease will be lessened, ad that when the wave of plague which at present has spread recoded, the next ware that takes place will over a large portion of the globe shall have
that a like fate will attend every otler epidemic dash itself ineffectually against our shores, and of infectious diseas ›. (Applause)
to do what they had been asked to do. In order to give effect to the recommendations
insanitary of itself, who lets out his property | Government does not intend to give compensa- they asked Mr. Chadwick and Prof. Simpson overcrowding to enrich himself.
to rack-routing sub tenants, or resorts to tion for the abolition of windowless cubicles, to prepare a Bill. A Bill was prepired accor-
Not long and I would like to point out, because it is diagly with the very able (ficient assistance of scathing donnaciation of the slum landlord. In responsible for insanitary buildings, because ago Lord Rosebery delivered himself of a sometimes said that the Government is solely Dr. Clark, the Medical Officer of Health, and | May of this year Mr. Walter Long. President the erection of the e buildings was possible that Bill after receiving the class attention and of the Local Government Board, replying to a consideration of these gentlemen was presented depatation from the lading municipalities, said that existed before 1894 it was quite possible under its own laws, that even in the laws to this Government. The Bill was introduced | he entirely concurred with the view expressed. to construct honses of a into the hous on the 7th of July last. The owner of a slam property who allowed that which As then introduced it was the product of property to get into a disgraceful condition, and
sanitary type; would haro solved the cubicle Messrs. Chadwick, Simpson and Clark. Every imperilled the lives of those who lived upon it,
ques ion and give a wi dow to each cubicle. word in it was placed there by thems-lres.
We have it statel to that effect in the letter 'I herefore it contained nothing but the recom-
was entitled to no consideration, and certainly from Mr. Danby which he addres ed to the mendations of the Commissioners who had been do not
no sympathy." Well. the Government Housing Committee which sat in 18'4; and he invited at the request of the petitioners. Of pensation by persons who have their tenauts Chinese houses comply with the requirements of recognise any right to com sites in that letter that as long as the plans of course if that Bill had gone to the second read- in windowless cubicles. ing and subsequenti to the house I should have clauses providel that for slaughter of animals
The compensation existing buildings and Public Health Ordi- asked and expected hon. members to have compensation to be fixed by the Colonial Veter- such improvements as
bances, we architects are powerless to introduca supported it, becuse the BI did nothing inary Surgeon, for damage done to clothing, clients refuse to adopt our suggestions, which we should like if our more than that which they asked for them- &c., during disinfection, compensation by the they almost inva iably do. Now, sir, I 89'ves. They have asked for independent Sanitary Board. It is also provided that com- and competent persons to be sent out to report pensation will be given where thed pth of build-objectionable can possibly be built under it, and is very difficult to so frame a law that nothing and recommend, and then they take the some-ings is limited to 4 feet; compensation for land if the Government were to blame in the past for what unusual but effective course of imploring | lef. unbuilt on to be fixed by arbitration. Also, not legislating in a more drastic mann r, owners that the Bill should be departed from, the Bill where hind is to be resumed for scavingeng of properties must accept some responsibilities which gave effect to the recommendations that Ines-a very valuable provision which the if they have not foll wed the advice of their they had asked should be given effect to. Of Government hope course, we know it is oue thing to ask and an.
will meet with the architects and built houses that were reason other to be satisfied with what you receive So provide compensation for refusal to allow re-
approval of this Council; al the Bill will ably sanitary. Sir, the supporters of this Bill it turned out that the Bill after it was introduced erection of buildings over the entrance to a in this Council perfectly in accord at that time street or over any portion of a streat; also where with the requests and wishes, as far as the Go. vernment could understand them, of the public. to be allowed is to be fixed by aroitration. The the height of buildings is limited. The amount met with considerable opposition, not because of composition of the Board will be such as to the principle on which it is based, but as regards command respect and confidence. The Govern- the details to which it was intended to give ment w Il appoi it one member, the owne will effect. So much was the Bill criticised by the appoint another, and the Puisne Judge of the architects, as to the provisions with which it Colony, in the case of a dispute, will be the umpire. dealt with the structural provisions of the Iu allowing for compensati n for the lessening Bill, and by persons who were affected by the in the height of buildings, the setting back of Bill, such as landowners and this Government felt that the Bill con'd the Government have stepped farther than they others, buildings, and reducing the depth of buildings, not be forced through the without the recommendations and criticisms
Council need absolutely have done; that is to say, there being considered.
was precedent for not doing it. In considering them the ex sts, it has been enforced since 1889.
As tho, law Government found many useful and valuable limits compensat on
It suggestions which they thought it right to
at height of buildings. adopt and give effect to. In fact, the recon- compensation in numerous cases, and II.E. However that may be, this Council provides for sideration of the Bill g nerally made the Govern- the Gorernor, after giving it due considera- meut withdraw the Bill which had been tion, has come introduced, because it had then become apparent right and proper that compensation in the
to the conclusion that it is that the Bill which, at the time it was in- cases should be allowed. So far as it relates to troduced gave effect t› the wishes of the the ablition of windowless cubicles, however, people for whom it was deigned, and ceased to do so at the later stage, and would not
compensation is allowed. I have every have been for the general benefit of the com
reason to hope that the Council will receive the munity if it had been forced through as it then
Bill with every satisfaction. I think, for every reason I have advanced, the Bill as now before stood. The result is that I introduced a second the Council should meet with practically uo. Bill, which meets in almost every respect, I animous support. I move the second reading believe, the objections that have been urged (Applause) against the Bill as it first of all appear d I believe now that the Bill as it stands will gire effect to the recommendations of the experts, except in so far as it relats to those recomm nlations which were in accord with the recommendations of Sir Thomas Jackson, Mr. Whitehead, and Sir Paul Chater. That is to say, it will be remembered that I pointed out to the Council that these gentlemen thought that no compensation should be given for anything at all, and that the owner should bear the cost of improvements was the recommendation of Messrs. Cha iwick That and Simpson, and
on these liues Government originally int nded to go.
the At the time we introduced the Bill we had the support of at least three hon, members of this Council and of the two experts. The Bill, however, as now introduced, provides for compensation to be paid. I may say the Bill proposes to pro- vide for compensation where it can be legiti- mately paid, not otherwise. I think this "not other vise" comes in some cases whore claims may be paid which will not be legal. In the case of the windowless cubicle, we do not consider that is a case in which a claim can be legitimately made. The Bill, therefore, does not provide for any loss which may fall up a a man by precluding him from housing his tenants in windowless roo.ns. The Attorn y General went on to read from the China Mail an extract dealing with the subject and bearing out the views that he had put forward. The extract WAS as follows, aud was taken from the issue of 28th July:-" No one has any sympathy for the property- owner who allows his property to become
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My hon. friend has fallen into one slight inac- The COLONIAL SECRETARY-I beg to second. curacy when he sail that on the report of the Sanitary Commission no action was taken unt. the Bill was laid before the Council. As a matter of fact, tho Iusinitary Properties Ordinance, 1899, stands on the Statute Book, and it has effected many improvements. It is but right to say, at the same time, that in some instauces some of the provisions were abandone·l oing to opposition to them There is a saying that that really means history repeats itself, and I think that what slowly the lessens which experience would mistakes over and over again, and that thes
them, that they commit the sime mistakes entail thes me consequences. Members of this Council will remember the prediction of Dr. Ayres in 1874, aul history records that when the Public Health Act of 183, the first real attempt to put the city in a satisfactory sanitary state, with such strong opposition that many of
was brought in, it its most important provisions were abandoned, How unwise, bow foolish, were of those days who opposed that Bill. What the mea
a train of sorrow and sickness did their action in those Colony. I feel certain, sir, that their action days bring upon this will not be imitted now by those who sit here in their places at this table, and by my friend the Sanior Unofficial Member, who was at that time a member of this Coun-il, and who has since, I am sure, learned that the health of Chinese can be improved by the adoption of Western sanitary measures. Attorney-General has referred to the fact that the My friend the
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Hon. Dr. Ho KAI-Sir, I have nothing to say against the Bill; in fact, so far as tho principle of the Bill is concerned, I have no aaofficial colleagues in this Council, support it hesitation in saying that I, in common with my heartily. With ref rence to the remarks of the health of the Chinese could be improved by Colonial Secretary concerning myself, that the Western sanitary measures, I may say, sir, I do not remember that at any time I made the asser- tion that the Chinese could not be improved by sanitary methods. I always believed that sanitary u easures will benefit the Chinese, if
roperly carried out, as well as any person in the world, and I do not oppose sanitary measures for the Chinese just because I think it would not improve them or benefit them.
During the ten years that I sat on the Sanitary But I do oppose any measures that have been hastily adopted. Board I opposed every measure which was in- troduced at the time without having been thoroughly explained to the Chiuess, and without adequat provisions having been made for the carrying out of these measures. Now taking the present Bill, as I say, I only was opposed to the Bill on this account, We all agree, ra the learned Attorney-General has said, that the sanitary improvement of the Colony is necessary, and we are all very anxious to sup- port any measure for its improvement. But at the same time, sir, taking the Bill which was drafted in April and submitted to as in April, we have offered a very strong opposition to it, and could not possibly support it; in fact, we would the reason is quite plain, because, compare the Bill that was introduced in April with the Bill by the change in the second one. The whole now before us, and one cannot but be struck
of compensation. We quite recognise that any difference between the two Bills is the principle private individual must keep his house in sani. tary order, and that the landlords must main- tain their buildings or their houses in a sanitary coadition. Now, what does a sanitary condition mean? Well, a sanitary condition varies from time to time. In this Colony, when sauitary science was scarcely known, some ordinances houses, and the plans of houses were asked to be were passed simply for the construction of submitted to the Surveyor-General-at that time approval. the title of the Director of Public Works-for When the plans had been approved, houses in that particular fashion. Now, after the Chinese were permitted to build their
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