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HONGKONG'S NEW GOVERNOR.
SIR MATTHEW NATHAN APPOINTED.
We received on Wednesday morning from the Colonial Secretary's Office the following announcement :-
His Majesty the King has been pleased to appoint Major Sir Matthew Nathan, K.C.M.G., Royal Engineers, at present Governor of the Gold Coast, to be Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Hongk ng in succession to His Excellency Sir Henry
A. Blake.
ROOF COLLAPSE IN MACDONNELL ROAD.
On the 9th inst., at about 12.30 p.m, the roof of Mr. A. Shelton Hooper's house "Rougemont," in Macdonnell Rd., collapsed suddenly without any warning. The cause of the fall was not, as might at first have been imagined, the ex- ceedingly heavy rains which have of late visited the Colony, but the fact that the r f-beams bal been entirely eaten through by white ante. Mrs. Shelton Hooper was in the bedroom at the time the collapse ocurred and fortunately heard the preliminary sounds in time to escape on to the verandah, thereby saving her life, there is little doubt. She was, however, kept a prisoner by the fallen materials until her husband's return, when she has helped out over the ruins. Happily the floor stood the strain of the fall and only the top story was wrecked. Here the damage amounted to about $1,500, everytling practically being smashed up. small fall, of plaster from the ceiling had occurred the previous evening, leading Mr. Shelton Hooper to warn the landlord that the roof wanted looking to It was exce dingly fortunate that the catastrophe did not occur daring the night, several tons of material being precipitated on to the bed.
HONGKONG SANITARY
BOARD.
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Mr. HOWETT said that personally he had no recollection of the Board having come to any such decision. At the meeting of 13th July he certainly spoke against the extension of the probibition especially as the shooting season W B now on and sportsmen going to Shanghai might be unable to bring their dogs back to Hongkong. The letter from Mr. Mansfield was very vague, and he thought that before any steps had been taken in the mat er it would have been better to have got farther information. It was a question that should have been submitted to the full Board. He had already had occasion to speak against the individual action of members of the Board. In one instance a meeting of the Board was called without the majority of the members having been Consulted, and on two different occasions-
The PRESIDENT-I am afraid you are speak- ing away from the point.
Mr HEWETT, continuing, said that, so far as he understood, the Board had not come to any such decision with reference to the prohibition of dogs from Shanghai. They had come to a decision which without reference to them had been upset. The principle, he maintained, was altogether wrong. No decision should be subtaitted to the Government as being the decision of the Board which had not been passed by the full Board. There security in the future for the members of the Board that in the event of them arriving at any decision one or two members might not take it upon themselves to send to the Govern- ent a report different from the real decision of the full Board.
was no
Hon. Mr. POLLOCK supported the remarks that had been made by Mr. Hewett, saying that before anything was sent to the Government as being the decision of the full Board the Board should have been consulted.
The PRESIDENT said he thought there was a this matter. It was considered at a meeting of mis.nderstanding on the part of Mr. Hewett in the Board and the Board resolved that the pro- hibition against dogs from Shanghai should be withdrawn provided that no rabies had occurred in Shanghai since February last. That was sent to the Government. The Government com- municated with Shanghai and the answer was that 12 cases of rabies had come to the knowledge of the Consul since February. Thet being so, he took it for granted that the prohibi- tion was to le withdrawn only if there had been no cases of rabies and that as there had been cases the Board meant the prohibition to continue. The prohibition ceased on the 18th ult. and it was necessary that the Government should know what the Board recommended in the matter. Therefore he took it upon himself to conclude that it was the decision of the Board that as there had been cases of rabies the prc.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on Thursday afternooajin 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. U. Mcl. Messer, Acting Registrar- General; Captain FW. Lyons, Anting Laptain Superintendent of Police; Colonel W. E. Webb, R.A.M.C, Mr. Fang Wa Chan, Mr. A. Rumjahn, Hon H. E. Pollock, K.C.;hibition shou'd continue. Mr. E. A. Howett Dr. Pearse, Acting Medical Officer of Health; Dr. Barnett, Assistant Medical Officer of Health; and Mr. G. A Woodcock (Secretary).
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EXEMPTION APPLICATIONS.
An application was submitted for exemption from the provision of backyards in respect of Nos. 2 and 3, Shing Wong Street.
were
On the motion of the PRESIDENT, reconded by Mr. HEWETT, both applications referred back to the Acting Medical Officer of Health for further particulars to be provided. IMPORTATION of dogs from SHANGHAI. Further correspondence was laid on the table with relation to the importation of dogs from Shanghai.
The Board had r solved, at a meeting held in July, to recommend that the prohibition against landing dogs from Shangbai be with- drawn as from 18th August provided no case of rabies had occurred at Shanghai since 3rd February, the date of a Consular letter on the subject.
A further letter of date 12th Augns, from the Consu', Mr. R. W: Mansfield, stated that 12 cases of rabies had ccurred since 3rd February.
Mr. Hewelt minuted that he had no recollec- tion of the Board coming to such a decision.
The President:-"The Board only recom mended that the prohibition should be with- drawn provided to case of rabies had occurred since the 3rd February; as 12 cases had occurred it was evident that the prohibition should be extended.”
The VICE-PRESIDENT remarked that in a matter of this kind where urgency was necessary On account of the probibition that was in force coming to a termination, the action the President had taken was only right and proper. The decision of the Board at its former meeting, if it meant anything at all, meant that the prohibition was to remain in foree if there had been cises of rabies occurr- ing in Shanghai, and therefore he thought it was perfectly justfiable that the President
should inform the Government that the Board was of opinion that the prohibition should continue in force.
The PRESIDENT-Next business. Mr. HEWETT asked if there was nothing further to be done in connection with this matter?
The PRESIDENT-There is no motion before the Board.
Hon. Mr. POLLOC3 thought there should te some motion before the Board, because as he understood it what seemed to have been quite an irregularity bad taken place a certain communication had been sent to the Government with reference to what the Board would recom. mend and he believed the effect of this would last for something like six months. To legalise the matter there ought to be a motion.
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The PRESIDENT The Government have already extended this prohibition.
Hon. Mr. POLLOCK-By Government pro- clamation ?
The PRESIDENT-Yes.
Hon. Mr. POLLOCK-Has it to be done on
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[September 12, 1903,
the recommendation of the Board under the Ordinance?
Mr. HEWETT replied that it had to be so done. It was in the last Gazette, Personally he was not satisfied with the explanation given by the President and he thought there should be some motion put before the meeting.
The PRESIDENT thereupon moved that the action taken by him be endorsed by the Board. Captain LYONS seconded and the motion was carried by a majority, those voting against being Hon. Mr. Pollock, Mr. Hewett, and Mr. Fung Wa Chun.
Hon. Mr. POLLOCK remarked that he was
simply voting on the gestion of principle and not with regard to the reasonableness or other- wise of the motion.
The VICE-PRESIDENT-The motion was not one of principle. It is an abstract poiut.
Hon. Mr. POLLOCK-It is not an abstract point, but a very concrete one.
Mr. HEWETT It is not an abstract point, but a very important principle.
A CATTLE-SHED,
There was laid ou the table an application for permission to erect two temporary wooden sheds on Farm Lot 23 for the purpose of housing dry cattle.
The application was granted.
PORK-LICENCES.
In connection with an application for a licence to sell pork, poultry, and vegetables at 46, Sai Wan O, Mr. Hewett minuted that no sale of pork, etc., should be allowed of the island without a licenc‹, If necessary the Ordinance
should be amended to that effect.
Hon. Mr. Pollock suggested that the matter be referred to the sub-committee dealing with
Ordinance 1 of 1913.
The PRESIDENT said there were on the island a number of villages which had sprung up recently and which did not come within section 77 of the Ordinance. He moved that the
Government be recommended to include those villages within the scope of the Ordinance. The motion was agreed to, and the application was granted.
LIMEWASHING.
The limewashing return for the fortnight ended 1st September showed that 1,630 houses in the Eastern and 3,199 houses in the Western District had been treated. In the latter district
fines to the extent of $1,370 were recovered.
RAT RETURN.
The rat return showed that during the fortnight ended 7th September 643 rats were destroyed; of these, 22 were found to be infected with plague.
The PRESIDENT stated that, though these numbers were smaller, more rats were being caught in the dwelling-houses. For the last three weeks the figures were respectively 4, 83, and 71. The percentage of plague- infected ra's was higher than formerly.
NULLAHS IN THE WESTERN DISTRICT. There was laid on the table correspondence relative to the training of nullahs in the Western District, Dr. Pearse having visited and reported upon them as to their being possible breeding places for anopheles mosquitoes. In his report Dr. Pearse suggested that a particular stream at Kennedytown should be allowed to be used by washermen as mosquito larvæ were not found in the soapy water used for washing
purposes.
The PRESIDENT moved that this proposal be approved and that the Captain Superintendent of Police be informed to low the washermen to use this stream.
Hon. Mr. POLLOCK seconded and the motion was agreed to.
This was all the business.
A Land Act for the Philippine Islanda bas been passed. Among other things homestead- ing privileges are provided for Americans and natives. No more than sixteen hectares may be taken up by any one person and the patent can be obtained only after seven years of con. tinuous occupancy and cultivation after the proper filig. Over six months of absence from a claim at any one time will lead to for- feiture of the claim. All surveyed lands must be taken up in legal subdivision of the survey, unsurveyed lands must be taken in lots as nearly as possible to a rectangular shape. No claim can be sold encumbered before the patent is obtained,
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