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"native and European should, during the "first six months of the year, carry at their companies' own expense a medical man, " who might be a Chinese graduate, educated "at the Hongkong College of Medicine for Chinese, to examine the Chinese passengers en route and report to the boarding officers." Yet again, in the same paragraph Professor SIMPSON says: It is not in regard to plague alone that the Colony is exposed to "outside infection. In the annual report for 1896, Dr. CLARE, Medical Officer of "Health, points out that exclusive of plague fifty per cent of the cases of infectious "desense in the Colony in that year were "imported by the sliping, few having been detected until after they had come under the care of a resident practitioner. Every year similar instances can be cited."
Nevertheless, the Government in its reply to the Sanitary Board's enquiry remarks that it is not clear what good would result from the enforce! carrying of doctors o i the Canton and Macao stallers. It seems to us that this is trea ing SIMPSON'S authority with scant courtesy, and that some further explanation is due as to why so strong a recommendation, made by an expert specially brought out from England to suggest remedial measures, should be entirely neglected. The first six months of this year, the dangerous period for plague, are nearly over. But before another year begins we are certainly of opinion that the Government should furnish some justification for its attitude on this important point!
で
(June 29, 1903. Fire Brigade, and the Government Bacterio logist; and the report on the health and sanitary condition of the Colony,
BATES AT MONGKOKTJUL
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
provincial plague mortality in the Punjab during six mouths has beaten even the record of the season 1901-02. It cannot b: said whether there will ever be an explana-
The COLONIAL TREASURER moved the tion forthcoming of the cause of the Mal-
following resolution:-" Resolved that the kowal accident-when the contamination of parentage on the valuation of tenements, pay- the inoculating fluid by some ingredientable as rates, in the vil age of Mongkoktsni be which should not have been there caused altered from 101 to 12 per cent." The the death of so many patients and ruined resolution, he said, was rendered necessary by the whole scheme of prophylaxis. As the fact that Mongkoktsui is now practically matters stand, only one comforting fact part of Yaumati, and that the inhabitants are seems to have been elicited, and that is that, in enjoyment of nearly all of the privileges
existing in Yaumati. whereas the proportion of deaths to cases among the inoculated in th Punjab was only 25 per cent., among the non-inoculated it was 60 per cent. What the incidence of plague cases to total population is among the two classes respectively has not yet been
but the ascertained, the Pioneer says, information should certainly be worth the pains of gathering it. It is with the utmost regret that all who are interested in the task of combating this most terrible scourge of plague must see the failure of the greatest scheme so far veatured on to check its ravages.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY sconded; and the resolution was agreed to.
QUESTIONS.
Hon. R. SHEWAN gave notice of the follow- ing questions:
Will the Honourable the Colonial Secretary be good enough to give the following informa. tion respecting the working of the Crown Agents system with regard to this Colony:
1. (a) What method is adopted for paying the Crown Agents? (b.) Do the Crown Agents receive a commission on orders executed in
addition to regular salaries? (c) Do they receive remuneration from
Crowù Colonies in addition to this?
other Professor
THE PUNJAB PLAGUE EXPERIMENT.
(Daily Press 22nd Jaue.) We wrote some time ago mentioning the interest which was felt in all places afflicted with visitations of plugue, in the great scheme of the Pujab Government for inoculating something like ten millions of people against plague during the months September-Jantry at. The inoculation was to be entirely volatary, and the whole medical staff of the Pinja, assisted by five members of the Indian Medical Service from other parts of India and by thirty- seven medical officers specially brought out from England. was to be concentrated on the work. The estimated cost of the scheme (which was devised by Sir CHARLE RIVAZ, a thorough supporter of the theory that inoculation is the one measure against plague) was between eight and nine lakas of rupees.
A is well know. now, this gigantic undertaking was commenced in most favourable e reumstances, considering the difficulties of the task, and went
months successfully until seven
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when a great catastrophe occurred which doomed the scheme entirely. The Allahabal Pioneer in a recent issue describes how the campaign was so bly directed and so carefully supervised that during the first three weeks, that is from the middle of October onward, early 200,000 people were inoculated, and moreover, the figures were swelling in volume daily. Tan, on the 9th November came the regrettable and still unexplained accident at Milkowal, and from that time th inoculation cam- an end. It is pa:qui' was virtually at true, our contemporary says, that during the six m uthis which have since elapsed, about 300,00p ma inoculations still performed, but this is less than would have been done in a mouth. at the rate of staing, and the whole achievement represents only about four per cent. of the originally contemplated total. And the most painful sequel is that the
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HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL.
A meeting of the Legislative Council was hold on the 22nd inst. in the Council Chamber Present :-
HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERFOR, Sir HENRY A. BLAKE, G.C.M.G.
HIS EXCELLENCY Sir W. GASCOIGNE, 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. Commauder R. M. RUMSEY, R.N.
(Harbour Master).
Hon. W. CHATHAM (Director of Public Works).
2. What is the annual sum paid by the Colony to the Crown Agents during the past 3 years, giving salary and commissions separately, or what aunnal sum has been charged to the Colony for the services of the Crown Agents?
3. (a) Are all orders for material, etc., seut to Europe on behalf of the Colony made through the Crown Agents? (b.) If not, what system is adopted with regard to such orders which are not executed by Crown Agents?
4. (a.) What system is adopted to ensure that orders on behalf of the Colony are executed by the firm best able to carry out the work at the most reasonable price? (b.) If orders are put up to tender ouly for those firms on the Crown Agen's lists, how are these firms selected? (c.) Can any reputable firm on application be placed on the Crown Agents' li-ts, or do the Crowu Agents exercise a right to refuse to place a firm on their list? (d) In the event of such a refusal, has the firm thus rejected any right of
Hon. Dr. J. M. ATKINSON (Prine'pil Civil appeal and if so to whom? Medical Officer).
Hon. ir C. P. CHATER, C.M.G.
Hon. Dr. Ho Kar, C.M.G.
Hon. Wer A YUK.
Hou R. SHEWAN,
Hoa. GERSHOM STEWART
Will the Government state whether they received a letter from the Secretary of the San- itary Board sent by diraction of the President, conveying the following resolution ananimously adopte at the meeting of property-owners at the Sinitary Board office on 18th May, convened
the Colony. Namely: That the permission of H. E. the Governor be obtained to have the report, which was read by Dr. Pearse at the meeting on the subject of overcrowding and its abatement, p inted and circulated amongst the European land-owners in the Colony.”
Mr. R. F. JOHNSTON (Acting Clerk of by advertisement in European newspapers in Councils).
FINANCIAL.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table Financial Miants (Nos. 14 to 24) and moved that they be referred to the Finance Committee, The COLONIAL TRASURER sycould, and the motion was agrend to.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table Report of the Finance Committee (No. 3) and moved its adop io7.
The COLONIAL TREASURER secoudel and the motion was agreed to.
WATERWORKS AT TAIPO.
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS laid on
the tible the Report of the Public Works Committee (No. 1), which was in the following
terins:-
"Water Supply for Quirters, Police Station, and Polics Launches at Taipo.-The Chairman laid before the Committes a proposal for obtain- ing a supply from a strom near Taip, at a poin above t caltivated area bərdering its cars, and conveying the water in an open catchwater and in pipes to the island where the landing place is situated or on which it is intended to erect quarters. A branch pipe to ba curried across the embankment, forming the Taipo Road for the supply of the Police Station and the existing temporary quarters. estimated cost of the work was $3,72). It was vision for the work be made in the Estimates unanimously agreed to recommend that pro-
for 104 The Committee then adjourned."
PAPELS.
The
The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table
the reports for 19 2 of the Botanical and Afforestation Department, the Post Office, the Harbour Master the Acting Registrar-General, the Po Loung Kak, the Superintendent of the
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No. 2. If so, has any reply been sent thereto? If not, why not ?
No. 3. Is the Government aware that the President of the Sanitary Board stated at the Board on 19th inst. that no answer had been received to that le ter, but that the report hal been laid on the table and was accessible to the Press if they wanted it?
No. 4. Do the Government propose to print and circulate Dr. Pearse's report in terms of the resolution? Or is it trus, as rum ured, that the report has been withdrawn from circalation? and that the information which has been placed at the disposal of the Chiue e will not be available for Europeau land-owners ?
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No. 5. Do the Government approve of the request of the Chairman that the Europeans should leave the meeting of land-owners above
referred to?
Will the Government instinct the Govera- ment Printers to print & larger number of copies of Ordinaces, as it appears that the Passenger Act (No. 1 of 1859, Chinese Con soliduión Ordinance) is now out of print and cannot be supplied.
FIRST READ.NGS.
The following Bilis ware submitted and read a first time: – A Bill entitled an Ordinance to repeal The New Territories Rent Recovery Ordinance; a Bill entitled an Ordinance to amond The H lidays Ordinance, 1875 (No. 6 of 1875); a Bil entitled an Ordinance to give effect to an Order in Council made by His Majesty the King on the 12th day of March,
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