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THE HONGKONG WEEKLÝ PRESS AND
an error in the addition. It would be noticed however that the figure he now gave, 19.7, was still the smartest for the six years. With regard to the question of whether the employment of soldiers in May and Jane had any appreciable effect in lessening the dumping, he submitted for consideration the following figures calculated on the same basis as those given above. In May and June, 901, there were registered 1,254 case: of plague; the dumped bodies numbered 233, a percentag f 18.5; differing by 1.2 only from the figure for the whol of the year, namely 19-7. Of the 395 cases occurring not in May and Juue, 191, there were 93 dumped, giving a percentage for the rest of the year of 29.5. which was the figure which should be cainpired with the percentage during May and June (186) for the purpose of considering whether the employment of the 100 soldiers had any effect.
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The PRESIDENT remarked that the incur. rey which had crept in did not materially alter the comparative statistics, because 191 was still th year in which there were fewer bodies found dumped in the streets.
MOSQUITO DANGERS,
An explanation has been sent to us, which the first floor of 26, Aberdeen Street and allow the yard to be counted as external air under the proviso to ction 154, and then have a partition built about the rear window we see that we at once divide the floor into two parts-asmall room at the rear with a window one-tenth of its floor area opening in to the external air (yard) and a larger remainder with windows opening into the street not equal to one-tenth the remaining floor area. Such larger remainkler is therofore illegal. In other words no partition can be built on this floor which would result in having two legally habitable subdivisions. If the amendment I suggest above to the definition of a reqm be made we could then divide this floor into four legal subdivisions, anjely two cuticles or rooms in front, each with an area of 225 Ft. and with ample window area, one cubicle or room in tear with window area into the yard (if accepted as external si) and a windowless lobby or passage which would be nu uhabitable In houses which have no widow from the living-room into their open space in the rear and in those houses which have yards too small to be recommended for exemption under the The Acting M.O.H. seut in a minu's ecom proviso to Section 154, if the windows looking meuding that the attention of the people living from the maia room into the front streat in Macdonnell Road by drawn to the danger of were equal in area to oue-feath the floor allowing smal collections of water to remain in area of the room we could build a partitionhower-stucers, etc., in their gardens. around the front window or two partit Mr. Pollock miaated:-" tions forming two rooms if there were two might be distributed all round the Colony in A general notice windows in front, leaving a small windowless English and Chinese," lobby not to be inhabited. The smaller the subdivisions supplied with sufficient window area the larger would be the wind wless 18- mainder, and consequently proportionately higher would be the reut to be paid for the habitable portion of the floor. If the window less remainder bo reduced to a minimum the larger will the habitable division become until it will become so large as to command a rent not within the means of the poor man's family, and as it cannot be subdivided it will only be fit to be used as a common lodging house is used, that is by a number of men who are content to live together in a large room without any subdivisions for privacy. I attach returns from the inspectors showing the number of vacant floors they have found in their districte. The figures show that these floors can approximately house 25,0.0 persons. This number is apt to be misleading, for as my above r marks in reference to the enbicle question show, we are not concerned so much with the question of finding house-room for these who are content to live in common lodging. houses, but with the very difficult problem of being able to provide for the wauts of the families of the poorer classes and of those who wish to live with a certain amount of privacy for decency's sake,
DUMPING PLAGUE BODIES.
Correspondence was laid on the table relative to the percentage of Lodies dead of plague found damped.
The Colonial Secretary wrote, with reference to the statem nt in the M.OH.'s memorandum laid on the table at last meeting of the Board that the percentage of bodies dead of plagne picked up outside houses in 1901 was ouly 13.8, or the lowest on record that that was the year the 100 soldiers were employed to stop dumping for about two mouths in the plague season-- 1st week in May till 1st week in July. Was the low percentage of dumped bodies attribut- able to any other cause?
The Acting M. O. H. in reply regretted that in endeavouring to compile quickly an answer to the question of Mr. Pollock lately asked at a Board meeting on this subject he did not give the figures correctly. A revised report showed that in 1898,304 bodies or 23.1 per cent. were found in streets or hillside; in 1899, 354 or 242 per cent., in 1900, 320 or 29.5 per cent.; in 1901, 326 or 19.7 per cent.; in 1902, 198 or 34 6 | per cent.; in 1903 up to date of previous report 329 or 33.3 per cent; up to 19/6/03, 397 or 32.7 per cent. The cases he had counted as dumped included those found dead in streets, the harbour, or on hillsides, but not those found in matsheds, empty floors of houses or in boats. In the former figures there were accidentally included many cases found in the streets but showa to have been taken to the Tang Wah Hospital for treat ment. The previous number, 188, given as the precentage of dumped bodies in 1901, was due to
Mr. I au Chn Pak :-" I think the attention of those living in the other malarial districts should also be drawn."
The PRESIDENT said it would be in the r. collection of some of the members that the prevalence of malarial fever in Macdon- nell Road was brought before the notice of the Board in November last and it was then decided that the best plan to deal with those stagnant pools would be to treat them as Duisauces. One of the uui-anoes us defined in the Ordinance is as follows:-Any accummulation or deposit of stagnant water, sullage-water, manure, house-refus or other matter wherever' situated which is unhealthy. Undoubtedly anopheles larvae were unhealthy, and it
stagnant pools containing peared to bim that the bast would be to draw the attention of the public generally, by advertisement or notification in the papers, to the fact that these stagnant pools standing in premises were a source of danger to the people living in the premises. and to waru them that if they were not dealt with it would be necessary for the sanitary inspectors to take the matter in hand and treat them as ordinary nuisances.
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course to take
Mr. POLLOCK suggested that notices also be inserted in the Chinese newspapers
The PRES DENT moved that notices be inserted in European and Chinese papers.
Mr. POLLOCK seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
LICENCES.
347, Queen's kood West to be registered as a The following applications were made:-For bake-house; for the renewal of the bake-house licence for, Queen's Road West; for 69, Queen's West to the reg stered as a bake-bouse; for the registration of 72, Hollywood Road as Queen's Road West as a public laundry; for a bake-honɛe; for the registration of 199, 423, Queen's Road West to be licensed as a fat- Road West to be registered as a bake-house, boiling establishment; and for 445. Queen's
exception of
The applications were granted with the Road
the bake-house 28, Queen's West which was nusui'able; and the fat-boiling establish- reported to be
bad already resolved that such offensive trade. ment at 423, Queen's Road West, as the Board should be carried on only in the suburbs or villages,
THE AB LITION OF CUBICLES,
unity of informing the Board as to what had The PRESIDENT said he took this opport- been done in the way of enforcing the provisions of the new Building Bill with regard to cubicles. A survey of No. 5 Health District was being taken and the result as shown in the first block of houses dealt with was as fol- lows:-Number of houses 42, floors 147, illegal cubicles 242. Under the old Ordinance 2,234 occupants would have been allowed; under the
July 4, 1903.
new Ordinance the number would be 1,401; no
42 houses. Notices that the cubicles wəre illegal that 833 people would be displaced in these
visited ag, in on 14th inst.: if it was found that were served on 30th Juue and they would be the cubicles had not been removed further action would then be taken under the Crdinance. On the previous night a visit was paid to 20 of these honses and out of 55 floors percentage of 10.9. At this time of your the six were found to be ove crowded, that gives a Chinese did not sleep to a great extent indoors; many slept on the ro f or in the stree a; there- fore the percontige was not quite accurate. If thought they would find the overcrowding a visit were paid in the winter mouths be
much more.
Mr. Fusu WA CHUN asked on whom the uotics were served.
he PRESIDENT-On the owne.s Mr. Fung WA CHUN thought they should be served on the tenauts by whom the cubicles were put up.
The PRESIDENT pointed out that the Or dinance ovided that the notices should be served on the owners.
Mr. RUJAHN said the landlor h.d no power over the tenants. His experience was that the tenants strongly objected to the removal of the cubicles by the landlords and the latter could not do anything. The most expeditions way would be a sut the Board's offi ers to remove them. The PR SIDENT-The proc dure to be taken is laid down in the Ordinance.
RATS.
The rat returns showed that during the werks ended 22nd ant 29th June 2,245 and 2,015 rats were caught; of these 333 were found to be infected.
LIMEWASHING,
The lime washing returns showed that during the Western District had been dea t with. the fortnight ended 23rd June 1,634 houses in
PLAGUE AT AMOY.
A latter of 9th June was submitted from Mr. P. F. Bausser, H. B M. Consul at Amoy, intimating that the plague epidemic there pa- peared to have reached its maximum and now showed a tendency to decrease, the average number of cases reported during the last few days showing a slight reduction.
Mr. Pollock minuted :-"The plague at Amoy seems to have begun to decrease about the same time as it did here."
This was all the business.
THE HEALTH OF HONGKONG.
23 cases of plague 22 Chinese, and 14 of them fatal, were reported since our last issue. The of er sufferer was an Indian. The year's total of cases now numbers 1,297.
An instance of how the plague campaign is being carried on was brought under our notice on the 1-t inst. At 10 am, an European lady passing the lane between Blue Buildings and the Asile de la Sainte Enfance noticed a female just been dumped, lying on the ground. Seeing child, about eight years old, who had evidently that the child was alive, the lady hurried in search of a policeman. Hap, eling on a lukong the case was explained, and after some time the limb of the law grasped what was required of He then sauntered off at the regulation pace, him-that he should procure an ambulance. heedless of the appeals to hastea. Shortly after an European in the Government servics, who chanced to be passing in a ricksha, arrived on the scene. After waiting twenty minutes and no signs of the ambulance-thon h the Sanitary only five minutes' walk from the Convent→ Board matshed where such things are stored is
go for the vehicle. Instead of complying the an Indian police sergeant was asked to
Indian whistled to a lukoug, and sent him on the errand. All this time the poor child had been exposed to the sun, while crowds of Chinese gathered round, langhing as though witnessing after the first lukong had set out, the ambulance an humorous spectacle. At 10,50, fifty minutes arrived and the body was conveyed to hospital. What chance there might have been of saving the life of the child was in all likelihood lost owing to the sandalous delay of either the lukong or the Sanitary Board employees. must.reserve for next week.
An explanation has been sent to us, which we
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