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HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on the 23rd inst. in the Board Room. Hon. Dr. J. M. Atkinson, Principal Civil Medical Officer (President), presided and there were also present Hon. W Chatham, Director of Public Works (Vice-President); Mr. C. Mo I. Messer, Acting Registrar-General; Captain F. W. Lyons, Acting Captain Superintendent of Police Mr. Fung Wa Chan, Mr. Lau Chu Par; Colonel W. E. Webb R.A.M.C.; Mr. H. E. Pollock, K.C Mr. A. Bumjahn, Mr. G: A. Woodcock (Secretary) and Dr. W. W. Pearse (Acting Medical Officer of Health).
APPOINTMENTS,
The PRESIDENT pursuant to notice moved "That the Board, Junder the provisions of Section 30 of the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance. 1903, depute Senior Inspectors M. Grice, A. Carter, P. T. Lamble, J. A. Lyons and T. P. Conolly to institute summary pro- ceedings before a Magistrate against any person contravening any of the Bye-laws duly made under Section of the Publis Health and Buildings Ordinance, 103, when instructed in writing by the Acting Medical Offe of Health;" also "That the Board under the provisions of Section 255 of the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance, 1903, depute Senior Inspectors M Grice, A. Carter, P. T. Lamble,” J. A. Lyon and T. P. Conolly to institute summary proceedings before a Magis- trate for the recovery of any penalty imposed by Part II of the said Urdidance or any Bye- law made thereunder when instructed in writing by the Acting Medical Officer of Health." The object of this, he said, was that the senior inspectors should be responsible for the limewashing in their own districts. Hitherto it had been necessary to employ two different sets of inspectors for this work. The senior inspectors took action first and then eventually it was left to the prosecuting inspector to take further action before the Magistrate. These resolutions would simplify matters much more and conduce to the bettor carrying out of the limewashing operations.
The VICE-PRESIDENT Seconded, and the motion was agreed to,
THE NEW BUILDINGS BILL.
The next item was Mr. Rumjahn's motion, "That the Board recommend the Government to amend the definition of the word Room' as given in Sub-section 51 of Section 6 of the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance, 1903, by adding the following words thereto: Office, accountant's room or any other apart ment not used as a sleeping place'; and that no action be taken by the Board for the removal of any room not used as such sleeping place.
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The D.P.W, minuted I do not consider the amendment necessary,The definition of a room is bound up with that of a domestic building, which excludes places where people do not pass the night.
Mr. KUMJAHN in proposing the resolution contended that rooms such as dining rooms, accountants' rooms, which are found in Chinese shops and hongs, and also rooms used as offices which did not open into the external air and were not used as sleeping places, must be removed. There was a block of buildings down below them (Beaponsfield Arcade the back buildings had a yard or open space less than 13 feet, which did not comply with the definition of external air. If this definition was not amended these rooms must be removed. He contended that the definition of a room
rooms of which were used as offices. These
was
the
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
not bound up with the definition of a domestic building. Under sub-section 22 of section 6, buildings such as Prince's Buildings
and Queen's Buildings, blocks of buildings in the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, the Hongkong Hotel and the blocks of buildings between Wyndham Street and Duddell Street came within the definition of domestic buildings, because they were adapted to be used for domestic buildings although they were used as offices, and more than two caretakers passed all night there. Of course it was not desired that Government should be asked to amend the Ordinance at once; an
opportunity might be found when other amend-
ments came up.
MELAU CHU PAK seconded.
[April 25, 1903. Mr. LAU Chu Pak seconded the motion and suggested that if the gullies could not be filled in with coment concrete some other device should be adopted to rem dy the evil com
The PRESIDENT proposed as an amendment that the Board do not take action with regard to these offices and accountants' rooms or other offices that Mr. Rumjahn referred to. It was not advisable, he thought, to make an amend-plained of. ment of the Ordinance at this early stage. If they recollected, the Board passed som› Memor- asda on 15th March, 1900, in connection with the enforcement of the Insanitary Properties Ordinance, providing that it should not be necessary for the Board to take action in regard to existing "ping-pong shops", which were practically accountauts rooms. He moved that in the cases mentioned by Mr. kumjahn they
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take no action.
Mr. FONG WA CHUN second. As long aS the Board did not take any action in such cases he saw no objection.
tary Properties Ordinance was repealed by the Mr. RUMJAHN pointed out that the Insani.
made under the former would have no effect. new Ordinance and consequently any bye-laws
The PRESIEENT--That is not a bye-law. Mr. FUNG WA CHUN-It is a concession. Mr. PRESIDENT-Simply a concession. Mr. POLLOCK thought it was somewhat irregular for the Board to say they would not take action under any circumstances in any case which fell under the notice of the Board. The PRESIDENT said it was only intended not to take action with regard to offices and aceountants' rooms.
Mr. POLLOCK thought they should not pass a resolution binding themselves not to take action in any such cases if they had power to take action by law.
Mr. FUNG WA CHUN-Eut we can move a concession.
On the motion of the PRESIDENT, the Board went into committee to consider the Memoranda referred to.
On resuming, Mr. RUMJAHN withdrew his motion on the understanding that no action be taken in the cases mentioned unless the Medical Officer of Health thought it necessary.
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PROSECUTIONS,
The PRESIDENT moved "(1) That the Board. under the provisions of Section 3 of the | Pablic Health and Buildings Ordinance, 1903, depute Dr. Barnett to institute summary proceedings before a Magistrate against any person contravening any of the Bye-laws duly made under Section 16 of the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance, 1903; (2) That the Board, under the provisions of Section 256 of the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance, 1903, depute Dr. Barnett to institute sammary proceedings before a Magistrate for the recovery of any penalty imposed by Part II of the said Ordinance or any Bye-laws made thereunder." The motion, he said, was made necessary on account of the arrival in the Colony of Dr. Barnett, Assistant Medical Officer of Health, who had come in connection with the plague scheme.
The VICE-PRESIDENT seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
MOSQUITO BREEDING-PLACES,
Mr. H. E, POLLOCK, K.C., moved "That, with a view to diminish the breeding grounds for mosquitoes, it is desirable that the lower portions of the street gullies be filled up with cement concrete, and that the Government be requested to take prompt measures for carrying out such work." Mr. Pollock, continu- ing, said he thought it probable that members had read the letter in the Daily Press from Mr. B. K. Leigh, who was formerly a member of the Board, on the subject. The street gullies referred to were really a sort of basin or receptacle underneath the street gradings at the far as there was any object at corners of the streets, and their object, so all, was to prevent sand or silt being washed into the storm-water drains. But it was quite clear that these receptacles held a considerable quantity of water-one measured near the Central Market at Mr. Leigh's request was found to hold some fourteen gallons of stagnant water-and it followed that such receptacle would be an excellent place for the breeding of mosquitoes. So far as he could see, said Mr. Pollock, these receptacles holding this dirty water did not serve a sufficiently useful purpose to justify their continuance, and should be filled up with cement concrete in such a manner as to give the water a clear fall into the drains.
The VICE-PRESIDENT said that before the Board committed itself to the motion he shoul.l like to mention that the question of recon- structing all the street gullies was at present under consideration. It had been decided to adopt a new form of gully which would do away with the stagnant water to which Mr. Pollock had, referred, although not entirely. It would be in the recollection of some of the members of the Board that some time ago a motion was passed requesting the Government to insert traps in all these street gratings, so that the foul air should not be able to pass from the sewers or drains to the open air, and the new form of gully provided for a trap of that des. cription. The water they contained, however, would be less than that held by the present gullies. It would be obvious, if the present gullies were to be entirely abolished, that it was useless to expend a very considerable sum of money--probably not less than a couple of thon- sand dollars-in filling in these receptacles. The construction of the gullies had been proceeding for some time, and therefore he would suggest that the motion be withdrawn. Otherwise, concluded the Vice-President, he would have been very pleased to support it.
The PRESIDENT mentioned that the Senior Inspectors had been instructed to put Joye's Fluid into the water in this cess-pits, which would effectually kill any larve in the water.
Mr. FUNG WA CHUN-Why not flush them every day?
The PRESIDENT-Because it has been found that a small quantity of Jeye's Fluid is suffi- cient to kill the larvae in the water.
Mr. PALLOCK-I should like to ask, sir, where it is these new traps are being laid-in what district P
The VICE-President—There have been several laid, sir, in the neighbourhood of Queen's Road Central and Connaught Road, The work will shortly be proceeded with vig- orously, I hope.
Mr. POLLOCK-I would also like to know, sir, when the work is likely to be finished?
The VICE-PRE IDENT-I should say it will take about eighteen months or two years.
Mr. POLLOCK-Surely what I suggest could be done in a much shorter time than that. Eighteen months will take us into the next two summers, and it is not desirable (hat this work should wait so long as that.
The VICE-PRESIDENT-It was, of course, take some time to do even what Mr. Pollock suggests, because the staff available for super- vising such work is very limited, and work of that nature must be supervised or else it might be done in such a way that the material used would be destroyed and the whole work ren- dered practically useless.
The PRESIDENT-I understand that $32,000 have ben included in the Estimates this year for this work.
The VICE-PRESIDENT-Yes. The motion was put to the melting and lost, four voting for it and five against.
LICENCE TO SELL PORK.
71, To Kwa Wan, for a license to sell pork at An application was made by Chung Hing, that address.
cation be granted stated that such applications The PRESIDENT in moving that the appli- were now granted by the Board. The premises had been inspected by the Veterinary Surgeon, who recommended the granting of the license, Mr. 'FUNG WA CHUN seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
LIMEWASHING,
the fortnight ended 4th inst. 1,110 houses in the The limewashing return showed that during Central district had been treated.
RAT BITURN
A report was submitted showing that during the weeks ended 13th and 20th inst. 8,876 and 3,392 rats were destroyed. Of these 336 were found to be infected.
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THE SHAUKIWAN FAINT-WORKS. Further correspondence was laid on the table with reference to paint-works at Shankiwan, in connection with which sanitary objections had been put forward on the ground that the living
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