854
the Surveyor, in his report of 27th February last stated that the surface channel was intended to carry off the rainwater from one side of the roofs. That statement was incorrect and should not have been made by a responsible official like the Surveyor because the rainwater from that side of the roofs was emptied into one of the traps in the yard.
H
The PRESIDENT-He corrected that; he meant the stormwater.
Mr. RUMJAHN, proceeding, said that the Acting Surveyor, Mr. Jackman, justified the existence of this channel and stated that section 43 of the bye-laws under Ordinance 1 of 1903 together with section 193 of that Ordinance gave authority by which slops and foul water were allowed to flow from house to house by means of an open channel under certain con- ditions. Section 43 made it clear that whenever the Board thought it undesirable to have a covered drain in lieu of a surface channel, then a surface channel could be provided. But the Surveyor had forgotten that in the very yard there was
a covered drain below the sur- face channel. In this case it was highly undesirable to have a surface channel for if one house was infected this channel would disseminate disease from one house to the others. Dr. Pearse had stated that under cer tain conditions such a system might be danger- ous to health. That was so. Now, side by side with this block was another of five houses nearing completion with the drains being made. But here there W88 face channel provided. Both systems could not comply with the bye-laws. There was an- other block of six European houses at Rosehill facing Robinson Road.
But here there was no trap inlet in the underground drain but at the end of the block. There was only one surface channel that carried away all the foul water, rainwater from the roof, indeed, everything fouled by use from these houses, and emptied into one trap placed at the end of the sixth house. The opinion of the Surveyor that a covered drain might cause a subsidence was childish because if the foundations could sustain the walls of the buildings they could sustain a conorete drain with a six-inch pipe.
no
sur-
Mr. HEWETT in seconding the motion said that if the drains complained of were in con-
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
In reply to a further telegram from Hong- kong of date 22nd April, enquiring how many cases had occurred within the last 48 hours, the Consul replied that on the 21st 13 cases had occurred and on the 22nd 8.
Colonel Webb minuted How long does it take in the ordinary course by steamer to come here from Nagasaki ?
་་
The PRESIDENT stated that it took about six days to come from Nagasaki. He added that the latest information from the Consul was that the epidemic was on the wane and therefore he did not think any further action need be taken. Approved.
MARKET AT MONGKOKTSUI.
Mr. A. Gibson,
C.V.S., reported that à market after the style of the Taikoktsui one, a roof supported on pillars. would in his opinion meet the requirements of when the Mongkoktaui in the meantime; population increased a larger one could be The site which had been reserved for erected. this purpose between Marine Lots 58-63 and Inland Lots 959 and 960 appeared to be in a very good place, and he recommended the erection of a small market there.
Mr. A. Rumjahn minuted: :-" The best thing to do, as every facility and encouragement should be given to the displaced population to occupy the vacant houses in that district."
The PRESIDENT moved that the C.V.S.'s recommendation be approved and forwarded to the Government.
Hon. Mr. POLLOCK Reconded, and the motion was agreed to.
LIMEWASHING.
The limewashing return for the fortnight ended 26th April showed that 197 houses in the Eastern and 467 in the Central District had been treated.
The Board adjourned.
HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
At a monthly meeting of the General Committee of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce held in the Chamber Room, City Hall, on Tuesday, 12th April, 1904, at 3.45 p.m.
M. Smith. H. E. Tomkins, R. C. Wilcox, and
[May 7, 1904.
and a large proportion of this would be suitable for cotton cultivation. There is also a vast area in other parts of Kwangtung equally suitable.
If the crop is found to succeed, the small farmers would probably take it up. They have already seen and made use of the advantage of growing some products of foreign origin for which a market exists in Hongkong, and they might take especially quickly to this industry. because it is widely spread in other parts of China and has therefore been moulded upon lines suitable to the conditions of small tene. ments.--I have, etc.,
(Sd.) S. T. Dunn, Superintendent, Botanical and Afforestation Department.
The Chairman said if it was possible to grow Cotton any way approaching the quality of that produced in Shanghai district a good market was at hand in the Colony.
+
In the discussion which followed it was con- sidered advisable to represent to the Government that the experiment should be tried and a small sum of money provided in the next Budget for the cost of suitable seed and plants to be distributed amongst the farmers in the New Territory and also for prizes for the three best results in order to stimulate competition.
CONTRABAND OF WAR.
The Colonial Secretary's letter of the 9th ultimo was read, furnishing the Chamber with a copy of the following telegram received from the Secretary of State for the Colonies in con- nection with the present hostilities between Russia and Japan
Telegram.
Your telegram of 2nd March Russian declara- tion as to contraband states follows:-" En général tous les objects destinés à la guerre, sur mer ou sur la terre, do même que le riz, les vivres et les chevaux, betes de sommes, et autres pouvant servir dans un but de guerre et si elles sont transportes pour le comptes ou à destination de l'ennemi Japan regards provisions as contraband of war when destined for the enemy's army or navy or in cases where, being goods arrived at enemy's territory, there is reason to believe they are intended for use of his army or navy."
33
The Chairman said it was evident from the
British Government were unwilling to give & more definite opinion as to what is and what is not contraband in the present war and it was therefore left to shipowners to use discretion in taking certain cargo of foodstuffs, etc., and at the same time take the risk of either combatant The minutes of monthly meeting held 8th | holding a different opinion. March were read and confirmed.
A. R. Lowe (Secretary).
MINUTES.
•
formity with the law, the sooner the law was Present:-Mr. É. A. Hewett (Chairman). Mnon-committal nature of the telegram that the' ` amended the better. He knew that there were D. R. Law (Vice-Chairman), Hon. C. W. at least two or three different systems of drain-Dickson, Messrs. A. Haupt, N. A. Siebs, J. R. age which must be not only most objectionable to the people in the neighbourhood but insani- tary as well. In the ordinary Chinese house with a backyard there was an open channel to receive the rainwater. and the sullage, draining into the main drain. He failed to see why in another class of houses it should be possible for the sullage water to be carried not from one one house to the second or third but along a whole block of buildings. He was not surprised that the tenants complained. With reference to the system of drainage at Rosehill, alluded to by Mr. Rumjahn, if this system was allowed to go on all he could say was that the present Act (1 of 1903) which
Was
supposed to rid Hongkong of this cursed plague was ineffective. The whole system was absolutely wrong and if it was permitted to continue to exist one could not be surprised to hear of outbreaks of typhoid and such diseases. And he was speaking not of houses occupied by the lower-class Chinese but by the better-class and by Europeans. The motion was carried unanimonsly. The PRESIDENT said that as on the face of it some
of these bye-laws appeared to be contradictory he would nominate a committee consisting of the Medical Officer of Health, the Acting Director of Public Works and Mr. Rumjahn to consider the drainage bye-laws and make any recommendations with reference to them.
SMALL-POX AT NAGASAKI.
Correspondence was laid on the table relative to an outbreak of small-pox at Nagasaki.
On 10th April Mr. R. de B. Layard, British Consul at Nagasaki, wrote to the Colonial Secretary here that cases of small-pox had been occurring there since February last, there having been altogether 135 cases since the 18th of that month. The Japanese authorities, however, were still issuing clean bills of health to ships leaving the port.
COTTON CULTIVATION IN THE NEW TERRITORY,
The following letter was read:-
Botanical and Afforestation Department,
Hongkong, March 25, 1904. SIR-I am instructed to draw your attention to the subject of Cotton Cultivation in the New Territory. I have therefore collected the following short summary from all the informa
upon the tion which I have before agricultural aspect.
me
The most important question bearing upon the possibility of successful cotton cultivation in Kwangtung is the question of climate. The seasons of the district are so peculiar that it would not be safe to assume that any plant
would be successful until it has been tried.
LEWIS AND CLARK CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION AT PORTLAND (Oregon). A letter from the Government, dated 29th ultimo, Was read inquiring whether the Chamber could advise the Government taking any steps with a view to a representation of the Colony at the Exhibition 1905.
It was decided to reply that the Chamber, while having every sympathy with the objects of the Exhibition, were averse to any public expenditure of money to further an exhibit representing Hongkong, and they were of opinion that private enterprise amongst the Chinese Community would bring the same object about.
.
A delegate from America would doubtless canvass and organise Hongkong exhibits in the same manner as was done in the case of the 8. Louis Exhibition now being held.
RUSSIAN RESTRICTIONS AT NEWCHWANG,
The experiment in the case of Cotton seems to be worth making, for in the cotton-growing
The copy of telegram from H. B. M. Con- districts both in Central China and in Northern India the conditions approach those of sul at Newchwang noting the conditions the Russians at that port Kwangtung. One of the best cotton-growing imposed by districts in the United Provinces (North West which had been kindly furnished the Chamber Provinces) of India has a climate very similar by the Colonial Secretary, on the 28th ultimo, to that of Hongkong.
There is some
The Cotton crop would only be in the ground from the first rains in April and May until the autumn, and would therefore be independent of the North-East Monsoon. doubt whether the dry winds of late autumn would check the ripening of the capsules, but it is probable that the more rapid growth of the crop during our hot summer would ensure their Even if this were found perfection in time. not to be the case, irrigation might be economi- cal if the crop proved a valuable one.
The land now under cultivation in the New Territory is probably about ten thousand acres,
was laid on the table.
PILOTS' ORDINANCE, 1904. The Bill now before the Legislative Council was discussed and it was decided to ask the Government to allow the Chamber the op. portunity of considering the schedule of Fees payable to Pilots and the question of the limit to the number of registered Pilota before the regulations became law.
CUSTOMS REGULATIONS AT THE POET OF
KONGMOON.
The following rules issued by the I.M. Cus toms on 23rd March last, and kindly furnished the Chamber by the Hon. Colonial Secretary,
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.