December 19, 1903.]
out
|
|
ples for a humble and hard-working section of the seafaring population who have no means of advocating their own cause. If you take a map of the Harbour and paint out all the space required for definite purposes-men-of- war anchorages, the proposed reclamations, and the space required for wharfage aud the fairways-you will find that the area for steamers working in the stream is not So very extensive, It is incumbent upon us, therefore, to see that this space is availed of to the best possible advantage. It is well within your knowledge that during the typhoon season work in the Harbour is constantly interrupted for days by the boats having to seek shelter ut the very earliest signs of bad weather. The refuge is away up to the eastward, and further than that even if the superficial area which it represents were entirely available for boats, it would still be inadequate for the purpose for which it exists; but it is very much silted up, and boats, naturally wishing to get in there, leave their work at the very earliest moment to obviate the chance of having to be towed up by launches against the wind. I suggest that this resolution should meet with your favourable consideration. Still it canuot be put into shape for some considerable time, and I would suggest meanwhile that something might be done towards dredging Causeway Bay. There are dredgers in the Harbour now which might be available for hire or purchase, and I think we could put them to an extremely good use in the present instance. The idea of a western refuge is no new one. It has been advocated at various times. Mr. Leigh wrote about it in the public papers, and I have here got the correspondence which took place between Mr. Leigh, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Government in 1898. His idea is to have a breakwater down in Belchers Bay. I have spoken of it te Mr. Denison, who is a practical engineer and knows the Harbour pretty well. He has drawn out a plan of a breakwater from the north of Green Island and joining the smaller island to the east of it, and this could be built at very little expense as the water is shallow, and the water-way between the two islands would be an anchorage for boats. quite convinced that the convenience of the shipping trade would be very much met if this were done, and there are other grounds on which I recommead it, because we must all of us remember what happened in 1900. When, the surplus boats had gone for shelter into Yaumati Bay they were comfortable enough as long as the wind remained in one quarter, but when it veered round to the westward in a very short time the damage done was enormous. There were people in great numbers rendered houseless, homeless and boatless, and had the wind not veared round when it did there would have been great loss of life. In fact, I think it may be fairly said that on that occasion the boat population were within an ace of a very great catastrophe. I think it is our right and daty to do what we can to prevent a similar occurrence. 1 recommend the resolution to your favourable consideration on two grounds
I am
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. anxiety on the part of the boat people to reach | the one shelter at Causeway Bay which is very soon, as we densdy packed. that if ample additional accommodation were I believe provided, preferably on the west side of the Harbour, the shipping of the port would be relieved of much of the inconvenience and loss which the present conditions give rise to at such times.
that of self interest, for we indirectly will get some benefit because we are doing something to assist trade and (2) on the higher ground of our common humanity, for I think it is right and proper that we should afford all the protection and help we can to an industrious and hard-working section of the community, who during a certain part of the year may claim to be following a dangerous avocation; because we must remem- ber that these people in numbers, men, women and children, have nothing between them and the next world but perhaps a half-inch plank when it may be blowing a hurricane in the Harbour. Upon these grounds I recommend this motion to your favourable consideration.
Hon. C. W. DICKSON-I beg, sir, to second the motion proposed by my hon. friend. The necessity of providing a shelter for small craft is so very obvious that I feel it requires no comment of miue to recommend it to the early attention of the Government. Hon. members must be aware from personal observation of the scarcity of boats of all kinds soon after the first intimation of a typhoon even though that typhoon be several hund- reds of miles away from the Colony and there is really no occasion for alarm. This is due to
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY-I am authorised to say on behalf of the Government that we are fully aware of the need of new accommodation such as is indicated in the resolu- tion. Only lack of funds has been the difficulty hitherto in connection with this increase. Stops have been taken just now to obtain definite plans for the construction of a Harbour refuge at the west end of the Harbour. (Applause.) Meantime the Government has no objection to pass this resolution. (Applan-8.)
H18 EXCELLENCY-I hope hon. members will understand that the difficulty hitherto had been want of funds, and the remark put forward by the Colonial Secretary is not intended to indicate that that difficulty has been got over-I am not in a position to state that--but the matter is regarded as urgent.
The resolution was agreed to.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL'S FEES. The ATTORN SY-GENERAL moved the first reading of a Bill entitled 20 Ordinance to provide for l'ayment of Counsel's Fees by the losing party in certain cases in which the Attorney-General appears as Counsel.
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
|
The objects and reasons attached to the Bill are as follows:-
To provide for the recovery of counsel's fees from the losing party in cases or proceedings where the Attorney-General appears as counsel, This Ordinance is intended to remove any doubt which may be entertained whether counsel's fees can be, properly, included in a bill of costs against the losing party in cases where the Attorney-General appears, but does not receive fees from the Crown,
THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND BUILDINGS
ORDINANCE.
The Council went into committee on the Bill entitled an Ordinance to amend the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance, 1903.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that when the Bill was last before the Council Clause 3 had been held over for further consideration. He moved that it be passed subject to deletion of the Medical Officer of Health from the constitution of the Sanitary Board.
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, remarking that it was on the gopresentation of the unofficial members of the Council that the Government had decided that it was not desir. able to add the M. O. H. to the Board.
The motion was agreed tol
On the Council resuming, the Bill was read a third time and passed, on the motion of the ATTORNEY-GENERAL, seconded by the ACTING
COLONIAL SECRETARY.
UNDESIRABLE IMMIGRANTS,
The Council went into committee on the Bill entitled an Ordinance to provide for the Re- covery of Charges incurred by the Colony on account of certain undesirable persons intro- duced into the Colony.
The rubric of Claus 3 read as follows:- "Owner, charterer, &c., liable in certain cases for expenses incurred by the Colony on account of persons becoming a charge on the public within
persons from landing." six mouths of landing and may prevent such
Hon. Dr. Ho Kai thought three mouths a sufficiently long time to make the shipper liable for the upkeep of such persons.
Hon. Mr. STEWART suggested six weeks. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said six weeks was too short a period. He thought three months reasonable.
Hon. Mr. STEWART remarked that it would be advisable to stipulate a maximum amount in which a shipper could be liable; otherwise he might be victimised for 50 years if he brought such a passenger.
Hon. Mr. DICKSON proposed six weeks as the term.
Hon. Mr. STEWART concurred.
451
Hon. Mr. STEWART supposed the case of a man who got sunstroke, in which case the ship would have to pay the whole time.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said the same argument applied to six days.
Hon. Mr. DICKSON remarked that an imbecile could not be expected to be able to tell what ship he came by. How was the Government going to ensure that the proper ship would be held liable ?
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY-That is a matter of carrying out the Ordinance.
HIS EXCELLENCT pointed out that a man with very few dollars in his pocket might get over six weeks.
the greater the difficulty.
Hon. Mr. DICKSON-The greater the time
The A.C.S.—In that case we could make it one day. That would be better.
myself.
Hon. Mr. DICKSON-I would prefer that
HIS EXCELLENCY said the six months' time stipulation came from the Vagrancy Ordinance. He thought three months a reasonable con- cession.
With this amendment the section was approved.
Sub-section 2 of the same section gave masters of vessels the right to detain such persons.
The ATTORNEY-General said the provision had been put in at the sugestion of the hon. member for the Chamber of Commerce.
Hon. Mr. STEWART asked if it did not give the master of a ship rather the right to look up any- one he did not want to land, as a lunatic?
The A.C.S.-He has the right any way. HIS EXCELLENCY did not think there was any objection to this.
The sub-section was approved.
Hon. Mr.STEWART afterwards suggested that protect a shipper who might have a lunatic it would only be fair to have a clause inserted to put on board surreptitiously and who might be saddled with his maintenance for 50 years.
After
GENERAL said he would leave the Bill in Com- 80me discussion the ÁTTORNEY- mittee stage to allow the hon, member to bring forward a definite proposal if he thought it desirable.
The Council adjourned till the 23rd inst.
HONGKONG SANITARY
BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on the 17th 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; Hon. A. W. Brewin, Registrar-General; Mr. Fung Wa Chun; Colonel W. E.
Webb, R.A.M.C.; Mr. E. A. Howatt, Mr. A. Rumjabo, Dr. W. W. Pearse, Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. B. Barnett, Assistant Medical Officer of Health; and Mr. G. A. Wood- cock (Secretary).
SANITATION-TEACHING IN SCHOOLS. The following letter from Mr. Chamberlain was laid on the table :-
"I have the honour to inform you that my attention has been draws by the Sanitary Institute to the difficulty of making effective use of recent discoveries in tropical hygiene without the co-operation of the people most likely to benefit by them, and to the consequent desirability of spreading the elements of knowledge in such matters through schools in tropical colonies. Valuable work in this direction has already been done in the Colony of Lagos, and I enclose for your information extracts from a despatch addressed to me by Sir W. MacGregor describing the methods by which instruction in sanitation is given in that Colony. I shall be glad to learn whether any attempt is being made on similar lines to teach the rudiments of hygiene in the Colony under your Government, or whether you consider that either teachers or school children can usefully be given such instruction. It seems to me that skilfully arranged lessons on the natural history of the most important tropical diseases might be made very attractive to children and that such teach- ing would be of practical utility in the future. If a demand for such lessons were to become apparent it would be possible to arrange for the preparation of suitable hand-books and primers on the subject,
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.