December 15, 1902.]
H.E. the GOVERNOR said he was afraid that if they put off the Bill coming into operation for say two years nothing would be done at all, whereas if Dr. Ho Kai's suggestion was taken into consideration they could start this Bill into operation at once, because the people could begin removing every third louse and remo ing a certain uumber of the tenants of these houses.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL nointed out that the Bill did not make prosecution absolutely compulsory.
H.E. the GOVERNOR suggested that the best thing to do was to pass the clause as it stood, takea Dote of what had been proposed, and afterwards | add a clause stating how this clanse would come into operation within three months, as suggest ed by Dr. Ho Kai, or otherwise.
This course was unanimously agreed to. In connection with the same sction some discussion took place on the ques ion of the amount of cubic space to be provid d for coolie quarters, and eventually it was agreed that a note be taken of the point with a view to further con- sideration at a later stage.
On the cluse dealing with the limit of fittings for sleeping accommodation, the Hon. Dr. Ho KAI asked whether opium divans were included in the restrictions.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL replied in the negative.
Clause 54, which refers to compensation for infected animals slaughtered, was allowed to stand over for reconsideration.
This course was also followed in respect of clause 89, dealing with the recovery by the Sanitary Board of cost of disinfection and the payment of compensation for damage done during such disinfection.
The Hon. Dr. Ho KAI was of opinion that it would be much better for the Government to spend a little money in the paym nt of com- pensation for articles destroyed, and thus in ince the Chinese to come forward and report cases of sickness, than to save a little money and not have such cas s of sickness reported.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY afirmed that the proper thing to do would be to grant compen- sation only in such cases as had been reported to the authorities, and in such cases only to waive the charge for cleansing and disinfection. H.E. the GoVERNOR suggested that a proviso be added to the clause that in cases of infectious diseases which had been reported by the owner or occupier no charge should be made for the disinfection of the premises.
The ATTORNEY-GENEEAL and the Hon. Dr. CLARK were of opinion that the proviso should cxtend only to cases where the report had been made during the life of the patient.
The HAI
ARBOUR MASTER-If the cleansing is the result of a report from the householder, there should be no cost to him.
Hon. Dr. Ho KAI-Whether the patient is alive or not.
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The HARBOUR MASTER-YER, The Hon. Dr. Ho KAI said the greatest evil now existing was the dumping of dead bodies in the street, and if the course was to be fol- lowed of paying compensation and not charging. for disinfection, only where a case had been reported during the life of the patient, there would be no abatement of the evil. There was no advantage in it for the Chinese, for if they reported a case after death-and in many instances death ensued very quickly they would be charged for the subsequent disinfection.. They stood to gain nothing by making such a report, and would simply continue to dump tho bodies in the street.
After the passing of other clauses the Council adjourned.
A meeting of the Legislative Council was held on Friday at noon in the Council (hamber; Present:-
His EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR, Sir HENRY A. BLAKE, G.C.M:G.
His EXCELLENCY Sir W. GASCOLINE, K.C.M.G. (Commanding the Troops). -
Hon. F. H. MAY, C.M.G. (Colonial Secretary). Hon. Sir HENRY SPENCER BERKELEY, KT. (Attorney-General).
Hon. A. M. THOMSON (Colonial Treasurer). Hon. Commander R. M. RUMSEY, R.N. (Harbour Master).
Hon.W.CHATHAM (I iructor of Public Works) Hon. Dr. F. W. CLARK (Medical Officer of Health).
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Hon. Dr. Ho KAI, C.M.G. Hon. WEI A YUK. Hon. C. S. SHARP. Hon. C. W. DICKSON. Hon. G. W. F. PLAYFAIR, Hou R. SHEWAN
Mr. C. CLAMENTI (Acting Clerk of Councils).
THE PEAK WATER SUPPLY.
Hon. G. W. F. PLAYFAIR moret the follow- ing resolution, of which he had given notice at the last meeting That His Excellency the Gover: or should be requested to appoint an independent Committee unconnected with the Public Works Department to examine into the truth of the statenants contained in the return tabled by the Director of Public Works of the supply of water to the upper levels of the Peak in November last and up to the date of that return." He said-Your Excellency, I fi:st beg leave to read the following letter addresse i to me by one of the most prominent residents in the Peak. I leave out names, but I will hand up the original to your Excellency so that you can see it:
of * *
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Hongkong, 6th December, 1902.
*
Dear Sir, I understand that in a return laid before the Legislative Council by the Director of Public Works the water supply was shown as satisfactory, and I believe the delay in getting out the water accounts w. s ascribed to the employment of high officers of the L'epartment on inspection for the compilation of this return.
The statement that the supply is satisfactory is distinctly contrary to fact, and the only officer of the department. I can hear of as having visited the houses is "Solomon." He spoke to my servant but no one has made any enquiries of (my next door neighbon) or myself. Cn the other hand I informed the Dire: tor of Public Works early in November in a letter, which he has not yet acki o lodged, that on one day the amount delivered through the pipe was half a bucket and I pointed out that that was not sufficient for 19 souls.
(my next door neighbour) tells me that he has to bare most of his water obtained by coolies.
The supply cannot have been inspectel by an engineer as he would have seen that an adequate supply cannot run through the size of pipe in of an hour with the pressure allowed.
Yours truly,
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which were productive of uo results, and it is for the benefit and the efficiency of the admin- istration of this Colony that the public sh uld know a litle more than they have known about how things are going and how. things are managed or mismanazed. I think that having stated this so far. I have now to indicate where in my opinion the real fault lies.
Gover: ment of cheese-piring economy in not I have deliberately and directly to accuse the
providing the Dir ctor of Public Works with a sufficient staff to carry on his work. The duties of the Public Wor!s Department have very largely iucress d since the date of the Commission recommending the increns).
The Hon. G. W. F. PLAYFAIR. From that lettor your Exc l'eney will see that poor old "Solomon," the black man, was the most competent official whom the Director of Public Works had at his disposal to compile this return. I am surprised at the assurance of the Director of Public Works in laying that return on the table stating that the house in question, which has been referred to in that letter, had a good supply when at the time he tabled it he had an unanswered letter of complaint from the gentleman in quest oe, distinctly con- trary to that statement. I would draw your Excellency's attention to the unanswerel letter, I havo heard of several other letters Leing un- answer.d, and it is surely, adding insult ti injury when a householder has a reas uable cause for complaint that he should be treated with incivility and quietly ignored. Since I gare notice of this motion I observe that the Director of Public Works has been going round -no doubt to the detriment of his other official duties-to all the other householders in the Peak getting an expression of opinion; but I am afraid that this expression of opinion, to- gether with the fact no doubt that we will hear something about corroded pipes and about the water taps being turned on all at the same time, does not overcome facts, and it is a very patent fact which the Director of Public Works knows himself that many householders in the Peak have been employing their coolies to draw water from neighbouring wells. That is a very strong fact. No amount of arguing or of getting returns to say that people get a good supply a small supply can overcome that very solid fact. I would also refer to the letter in the public Press from a lady living at Mountain View Terrace, in which she complained that she had no water. These facts which I have given and the latter which I have read are quite sufficient justification for | having brought forward this motion. As I observed before, I am tired of asking questions
1.E. THE GOVERNOR-I mu t point out to the hon. member that that has nothing what ever to do with the res lution before the Council, The resolution is for the purpose of enquiring into tio trath or otherwis of a certain statement.
Hon, Mr. PLAYFAIR—And I am giving the
reasons
HIS EXCELLEScr-That has nothing to do with it. I canuot allow that line of argument. Anything that goes to show that the statement was not correct is quite right to put before the Council, but the hon. member is going beyond that. This is a question of fact- whether a certain statsment made by a public official is true or false.
Hon. Mr. PLAYFAIR-Well, then, sir, I have said about all 1 hare say. I do not think that there is anything more for me to say; if you take away the grounds of my remarks i do not think it is uncass ry for me to say anything more than I have done. I bave proved my case, and I can only say that I worded the proposed resolution in your hands. resolution mildly, and I simply leave the
Hon. C. S. SHRP-Sir, as complaints have been made calling in question the accuracy of the statement laid on the table of this Council, and with a view to ventilating them, I beg to second the resolution.
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS-Sir, with regard to this matter, I have been endea- roaring in the short time that has intervened since notice of the resolution was given, to verify by enquiries from the parties whose houses sppear in the report laid before the Council, the correctness or otherwise of the statements which it contains. So far 1 have been able to do so in some 28 or 29 cases, and 33 of them, I consider, fully corroborate what is stated in this report. The remaining 5 or 6 leare the matter rather doubtful or show t at the report is inaccurate. may point out that the report is confined to one morning. It is a report showing the state of affairs found to exist on that particular morning whereas the statement of the people given me is a general state- ment of how they fared in the matter of water upply. Therefore it is rather difficult- even though their statem nts do not appear to corroborate the report - it
scems doubtful whether the report is regards that particular morning was absolutely inaccurate. The matter, I may say, is still in my hands, and I shal report to your Excello.cy when I have com- pleted my investigations.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY—Sir, from the remarks which haro dropped from the hon member who movel the resolution, it seems that he is labouring under a misapprehensiou. He spoke of the report of which he complains as having been penned by
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the Director of Public Works.
1 ́on. Mr. PLAYFAIR—Tabled,
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-I beg your pardon. I submit, sir, that in as much as the report is only the report of a subordinate of the Director of ublic Works to the Director of Public Works this subject is hardly one that ought to be ref rred to the committee asked for. I am sure the mover of the motion bimself and the secuder will agree with me that if the subordinate of the Director of Public Works has been in fault in this matter there is no one who would be more anxious and more ready to follow up the matter and inves- tigate it thoroughly than the head of the Department himself. That, sir, appears to mo to be the proper course t› pursue in this matter, and I submit that there is no necessity for any such committee as is asked for. The Director of Public Works has already stated that,
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