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PRAYA BAST RECLAMATION.
The Governor recommended the Council to vote a sum of $28,000 in aid of the vote for Praya East Reclamation under Public Works Extraordinary.
TREE-FLANTING,
The Governor recommended the Council to vote a sum of $1,600 in aid of the vote for Tree Planting under Other Charges, Botanical and Afforestation Department.
MEDICAL DEPARTMENT CHARGES. The Govornor recommended the Council to vote a sum 8460 in aid of the vote a: der "Other Charges," Medical Departments: Nursing Institute.
Rout of Temporary Quarters.. This was all the business.
THE EXPERIMENTAL BL CK,
$46,0)
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
terrible epidemic of plague When I came here I promised the people that if they would clean their houses and if they would give notice of cases of disease, those who were affected by p'ague should be treated in their own houses, and I promised also that they should have tanks in which to dip their bed-boards and furniture, and bach-houses in which to wash thems Ives and enable them to keep bemselves clean. Bufore we could get the e biths put up or these tnks erected, I came down, and within three days I found | the whole of the furniture of this street pat on the street, and the people themselves hed already began to hel to wash their hus as well as they could. I have not a in account of all the people who used the baths during these three months, but 27,275 people have been noted as using these baths
пр
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PREVENTION OF PLAGUE. The district that the Kaifong have been look-
ing after consists of 253 houses, with 614 floors, | and with a population of 7.701 people. I um told by Insector Gidley, who deserves the On the 3rd iost. His txcellency the thanks of the public for the way in which he Governor Sir Henry A. Blake, G.C.M.G.
has worked for the last three months, that he formally handed back to the Sauitary Board the and the Kaifong had no difficulty in getting the block of tenement houses in Second and Third people to turn out their houses, and to do what Streets which he had taken over with a view to ever they were recommended by him to do in the carrying out of experimental measures for the way of disinfection and cleanliness. To the prevention of plague as well as new methods Mr. Fung Wa Chun my thanks are also due of cleansing. The block in question consisted for the constant care that he has exercised of 253 houses, with 614 floors and a population in the supervision of the block; and to show of 7,701 people. To begin with, the south side of Second Street and the north side of Third taken
the spirit in which this experiment was
various people, I Street, between Eastern Street and Western
may say that within a week of taking over Street, were taken over at the end of April. lock Mr. Ho Kum Tong hand d to Inspector the The first thing set about was the erec- tion of hot-water tanks of over 300 gallons destitute people left by those who might be Gidley $200 to be distributed among the capacity each, in Wei On Lane Tak Sing Lane. taken away by the plague. The landlords of and Sheung Fang Lane. These tanks were the honses required for the baths not alone had used by the inhabitants of the district for the houses at once evacuated and handed over dipping their bed-boards and such other to me, but they one and all refused to take any furniture as would be likely to harbour vermiu. rent for the houses for the two months, and Attached to the same furnaces which heated two laudlords Yu Shan Tiu and Wong Chun the tanks were bath-houses, two for men and Shuu, have refused to take any rent at all for two.for women. A systematic cleansing-out of teir houses up, to the present. each house was then undertaken by the people could show a greater public spirit than this, for No country themselves, duder the supervision of rolice for it must be remembered that these land- Inspector J. H. Gidley. Froin nine to twelve lords are not rich men owning large properties, floors were washed out each day. About but are the landlords that live among you the middle of May both sides of Second and own these small tenements in the dis- and Third Streets between Eastern and | trict. I thank them most heartily for the Western Streets, and all the lanes and cross-pub ic spirit which they have shown. Now, streets within that boundary, were taken in hand and treated in the same way. Latterly au empty house in the district was engaged and fitted up as a temporary hospital, and in the event of infectious disease occurring the patient was removed there and the people living in the sanie house, after washing it out and disinfecting their clothing, etc., were allowed to remain in it. For the purposes of carrying out the scheme, a Kaifong was elected by the community of that district, and they lent valu- able assistance to the authorities in the work
The ceremony of banding back the block to the Sanitary Board took place at noon in Second Street, at the point where it is crossed by Centre Street. H.E. the Governor was accompanied by Lady Blake and Sir John Keane, A.D.C.; and there were also present Hon. Dr. J. M. Atkinson, P.C.M.O., President of the Sanitary Board; Hon. W. Chatham, D.P.W., Vice-President; Hon F. H. May, Colonial Secretary; Mr. Fung Wa Chuo, Mr. Ho Kum Tong, Inspector Gidley, and the members of the Kaifong. Before the pro- ceedings began a photograph of the group was taken.
coming to the incidence of plague during the last three months, one of the principal duties of the Kaifong was to see that cases of illness were reported as soon as possible. I know that when one feels a little sick one very often says nothing about it. and that is not confined to the Chinese people; but I have take taken a note of 24 cases reported by the Kaifong, and I find that of those cases eight were reported at once, 81ven were reported after two days' illness, one after three days, two after five, turea after six and one after seven. Now, in those cases where the longer time elapsed it was found on enquiry that the person was first infected by lague, and in many of those cases I think that the people themselves did not know or did not realise that they were ill until the time came, but as soon as they did realise that they were ill they reported to the Kaifong. I may say that in this district no body was dumped during that time, with one exception-and I believe the Kaifong could tell me something about that if they liked, for it was not from this dis- trict. Now, all this show to me that the Chinese people of Hongkong are prepared to help themselves and to help the authorities if HIS EXCELLENCY said-Dr. Atkinson, Mr. they are called upon to do so. Chatham, and Mr. Fung Wa Chuo.-I am
The Kaifong and the ppi of the district know with what about to hand back to you this block of buildings kindness aud care Dr. Atkinson and Dr. Pearse that over three months ago you handed to me. looked after those poor people who were ill, and to see whether I could get the Chinese they have learned to know and to realise that people to help themselves and assist in sani- both these gentlemen, who are charged with tary measures. When I came down here three looking a ter the public health of the Colony, months ago I was by no means|ce|tain that the are their friends, and their best friends. I am experiment upon which I had determined to now handing back tois district in which we have enter would be a success. I asked the people, worked together for over three months, and I the leading men of the two streets, to form a ask the Kaifong, who have worked so well with Kaifong, and seventeen of them came forward me, to continue to give their assistance to the for that purpose. I now take this opportunity officers of the Sanitary Board who will now be of thanking these seventeen respectable men looking after the health of the district. Now, who have assisted me during these three months. I will add only one or two words of advice Among these men I would especially mention to my friends around me. the names of Chan Ki, Chak Cheung, Wong when Sheung Fang Lane was empty in con- We know that Wai, and Lin Wi, whom I always found fore-sequence of the number of cases of plague most in the good work of teaching the people there, we collected a number of bugs and how best to help themselves in fighting this spiders and sent then to be examined. Eight
[August 10, 1903. people from that lane had died, and the question was-How did they gat the plague? D. Hunter, that they re fall of plague We found, when these bags were examined by When those two poor little boys died at No. 109 in this strest, fonad in that honke some bugs, and sent them for examination, and thos bars were found to be infected with plague Now you will understand the reason why it is necessary to keep your houses clean and to kill vermin, because the bite of these vermin may that since you began to dip your bad-bords in mean the death of a miu; and you all kuow these tanks of boiling water, you have had a great deal more comfort than you had bɔfore. I want you to continus to keep your bouy.s clean as they are now. The plague is over for this year. but
the plague is not dead. Next February the plague will begin again, and if the piaga: fiuds bugs an insects in the houses with plague in them, then men will die as they died before. You have got your houses clean now, because the whole of them have been thoroughly washed, and the furniture in them dipped in boiling water twice over. I will ask the President and the Vice-President of the San tary Board, Dr. Atkinsou a id Mr. Chatham, opportunity of keeping yourselves and your to leave those tanks, so that you will have an houses clean. I hope you will continue to use them and to impress upon your neighbours the necessity of cleanliness. I find ther's are on an average 12 people living ou every floor in the
under the new law there is no room on each houses in the whole of this district, and
crowding may not matter daring the summer floor for more than six people. Tais over- months, when so many sleep in the streets, but when November comes and people sleep together in the houses, then they broed bad air, and they them in February or March, they have no are anhealthy, and when the plague strikes strength to fight against it. I want you to think over my words. They are spoken for back this district to the sanitary authorities, your benefit. And now, having said so, I band and ouce more I ask you who have been working so well with me to continue to give your assistance to the authorities in the future. I thank you most hear ily for the loyal and splendid way in which you have worked for me, and I hope that the lesson that has been learned from the experiment in this district may prove Hongkong in the future, because it has shown of immense benefit to the whole colony of that the Chinese people are not apathetic, and that they are ready to help when it is explained to them that their help is necessary in carrying out the ordinary work of sanitation for the people, For myself, I shall always look back upon th time spent with great satisfaction, because it has brought me into contact with
shown you working of the Kaifong, and is among the Chinese population if
me how much gool stuff there only look for it. To Mr. Lin Yi I now present a letter of thinks for the good work done by the Kaifong and I shall also Kaifong. And now I wish you good-bye, and present a copy, signed, to each member of the
I most heartily wish you prosperity and safely and health in the future. (Applause.)
men
We
As His Excellency delivered his speech it benefit of the surrounding Chinese. was interpreted by Mr. Fung Wa Chia for the
year
MR. HO KUM TONG, addressing His Excel- lency, thanked him for his presence there thit day and for the very great interest he had always taken in the work of stamping out plagas in this Colony. shown his sympathy with every class of the His Excelleady had community, rich and poor alike. Another of plague was drawing to a close, and for Kaifong in Second aud Third Streets had the present the work in connection with the
terminated. The thanks of Chinese and Europeaus alike should be accorded to him for the untiring energy which had marked His Excellency's term of office in Hongkongia fighting the dreadful disease, and encouraging others Excellency had referred to the small gift which
to help forward the work. Hi he (Mr. Ho Kum Tong) had presented; be considered it his duty to act as he had done, and such slight service in rendering the work more in fature he would be very pleased to do any effective. If he might be allowed, he would like to mention the name of Inspector Gidley, who
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