February 10, 1906.
am of opinion that the Board's decision of ugust 22nd, 1905, was a wise one, and I should be sorry to see it reversed.
*
The PRESIDENT said that six months ago a resolution was passed by the Board that the officers be instructed to use their best endeavours to prevent the use of nightsoil in Chinese market gardens and to prevent its storage with- in 50 yards of the highway. As the result of that resolution and its being carried out by the officers certain petitions had been presented to the Board from market gardeners in Kowloon who found that the enforcement of the resolu- tion interfered with their business Theoreti- cally, of course, the proper place for the dis- posal of all excreta" was the earth. There were two ways of returning exoreta to the earth, the dry method and wet method. Uo. fortunately the market gardeners at Kowloon adopted the wet method and applied the manure to the leaves of growing plants as a top dressing. The objection to that method was that possibly the germs of disease might adhere to the leaves and communicate disease. There was also the objection that it gave forth offensive camells which were noticeable at certain hours of the day when watering with diluted manure took place. As it was possible to use excrete without causing that nuisance, he thought the Board might very well insist on market gardeners adopting the dry method of procedure. If that could not be done they might go farther and require the excrets to
be taken elsewhere.
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Dr. PEARCE said there seemed to be some confusion of thought on the subject. He agreed that the Board was quite right in put- ting down objectionable smells in frequented places, but if they were going to prohibit the use of human nightsoil by market gardeners they would do away with a good industry simply because a few people passing into the country were met with objectionable smells. Manure always smelt, and no matter where one went, to the market garden or farm at home, one always smelt manure. They could not grow vegetables without manure and they could not have manure without smell. Any action taken by the Board to stop the use of nightsoil as manure for the growing of vegetables simply because a few people objected to the smell would be absurd.. The objectiou might be that that manure was likely to cause typhoid or cholera or some other disease, but there was no doubt from the bacteriological point of view that the organisms of typhoid or cholers could not live long in sewage. Again, if the gardens were allowed to go out of cultiva tion they would become mosquito swamps. It was well known that the rod earth ‘of this colony would grow practically nothing, and anything that was grown must be heavily manured. It would be difficult to prevent the Chinese using nightsoil, in this
because
80,
way,
they had been accustomed to do but even if they succeeded in stopping the prae- tica gardens would go out of cultivation as there was not sufficient animal manure to keep thegardens going. Then they should be no better off if that happened, but rather worse, as they would have to rely on Canton for their vegetables and in that place there were no regulations at all. The practice of manuriog with nightsoil could not be stopped, but it could be regulated. He did not think it was sound from a sanitary or an economic point of view to stop the use of nightsoil in this Colony provided they did not allow people to create smells in frequented districts. In conclusion, he referred to the common idea that amells caused typhoid, and said there was no scientific evidence for believing that the smell of nightsoil caused typhoid fever.
J
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
injunctions. With an arrangement such as he suggested the manure could be sold or given to the gardeners
SUPREME COULT
Monday, February 5th.
97
IN SUMMARY JURISDICTION.
BEFORE MR. A. G. Wish (PuISNE JUDGE),^
CLAIM FOR RICE,
The case was continued in which_the_Fung
Cheung Wing firm sued Tee Ting Kwong and others to recover the sum of $296,56 balance due for rice sold. their
The HON. Mr. BERWIN disagreed with Mr. Hewitt's advice to follow expert opinion, and declared that what they had to do was to balance. expert advice against other interests. What they had to do was to say whether the proposal was worth while being carried. Personally, he should say no. What would be the result of carrying out Mr. Hewett's suggestion? If Mr. Hewett could not look after his own garden and prevent bis, servants from nsing nightsoil, how could they expect inspectors to supervise square sores of Chinese gardens! He did not see that they were called upon to do anything beyond periodically warning Europeans of the risks attendant on eating raw vegetables and asking the Govern. ment to encourage by grants of land people who carry on gardening under conditions which enable vegetables to be eaten raw,
Dr. PEARCE, referring to the minute by Hon. Mr. Chatham. that he could not see why gardens here could not be manured as in England, pointed out that human manure was used in England. They knew there were sewage farms there, and he declared that millions of money was lost to England every year hy nightsoil being carried out to sea instead of properly treated and used, the result being that the English people had to buy vegetables from other countries where night-
soil was used as a manure.
Mr. R. A. Harding appeared for the plaintiffs, and Mr. F. P. Hett (of Messrs. Button, Hett and Goldring) for the defendants. Mr. Hett said he understood the requisite affidavit had been filed by the plaintiffs.
His Lordship--Well, what's going to happen now ?
Mr. Hett--I should like my summons for security for costs to be heard first.
His Lordship-I think we'll discuss that afterwards, as if you lose there is nothing to
discuss.
Cheung Fuk Heung said he was a money collector and salesman in the empley of the plaintiffs. After the first delivery of rios: he was instructed to proceed to Yaumati. There he went to the defendants' matshed and applied he must have applied ten or twenty times for for payment, but did not receive it. Altogether the amount due.
After further evidence had been adduced, Mr. HUMPHREYS agreed with the remarks
Mr. Harding said he had put in evidenos of Dr. Pearce and Mr. Brewin, and said that if they prohibited the use of nightsoil it would be showing that the contract dated third moon was signed by the partners of the defendant also necessary to prohibit the importation of
firm. And to do vegetables coming from Canton. that the Government would have to make arrangements for our supply of vegetables.
Mr. SHELTON HOOPER suggested that regula. tions be drawn up prohibiting the use of night- soil within a distance. of 100 yards from a public highway of European dwelling.
The PRESIDENT considered that Mr. Hewitt's suggestion was a valuable one. It would be quite possible to establish such a depot or depots in the rural district of Kowloon under the control of an officer of the department. He moved that it be referred to a committee consisting of Mr. Badeley, Mr. Hewitt, and Mr. Humphreys, for consideration.
Mr. HEWETT seconded.
Only two voting for the proposition and six against, it was declared lost.
Mr. HUMPHREYS moved that no restriction be placed on Chinese market gardens unless they were within 100 yards of European dwellings.
The PRESIDENT pointed out that the previous resolution must be rescinded before that could be moved.
Mr. HUMPHREYS moved, and Mr. FUNG WA- CHUN seconded the repeal of the previous re- solution, which was carried by five votes to three.
Mr. HUMPHREYS original resolution, with the distance altered from 100 yards to 50 yards, was then accepted as the finding of the meeting
THE SALE OF DOG AND CAT MEAT.
Respecting an application for a licence to sell cats, dogs, snakes, and deer, etc., at 46, Temple Street North, Yaumati,
Mr. Humphreys minuted-I am opposed to the granting of this application.
LIME-WASHING RETUEN.
F
His lordship-The contract has been altered
Mr. Harding-I produce a contract signed. by the defendants in April, and submit that ho evidence can be introduced to refute its validity.
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His Lordship-Butyon produced the evidence, therefore it must go against you. You can appeal on that point if yon like. "Judgment and costs for defendants.
Tuesday, February 6th.
IN ADMIRALAY JURISDICTION.
BEFORE SIR FRANCIS Piggott (CHIEF JUSTICE) WITH Captain MORRISON, NAUTICAL ASSESSOR.
77
His Lordship delivered judgment in the case in which the Yik Od Steamship Company sued the owners of the steamship "Kwong Tung for $500, for damage caused by a collision between the "Tai On" and the "Kwong Tung.
Mr. M. W. Slade, instructed by Mr. R. Harding (of Messrs. Ewens, Haraton and Harding), appeared for plaintiffs, aud Mr. E.H. Sharp, K.C., instructed by Mr. H. J. Gedge, (of Messrs. Johnson, Stokes and Master( appeared for the defendants.
is Lordship said: The plaintiffs, the owners of the steamship "Tai On," sus the owners of the steamship "Kwong Tung" for damages in respect of a collision between the two vessels in the Canton River, which occurred in the channel south of the Salt Flata, it is alleged through the fault of the "Kwong Tung." The two vessels left Hongkong within an hour of one another on the evening of the 16th May, 1904, and proceeded to Canton, which they were both timed to reach at 6 am. on the 17th. The Tai On," the slower vessel, left first. She was passed by the “Kwong Tung
the The
Mr. Lau Chu-pak wrote-The sale of dog or cat flesh should be prohibited. Animals suffer. ing from hydrophobia or other diseases may be killed any time and sold. People one day may also wonder where their pets have gone.
Mr. Fung Wa-chun stated-The risk would } Tiger Island and remained astern for some tim be too great.
being sighted by persons on the Tang" when that vessel was up Whampoa Barrier at about evidence of both aides agree point. By the custom of the port of ships are not allowed to enter before and it is also the custom of the port that should enter in their berthing berth of the Kwong Tung the river than that of the “Tai On. would, therefore, bave pres the port. Both ships, An application was received for the removal but the direct consequence of certain fat-boiling establishments at West that the "Kwong Tong Point. There being no objection to their salt junk at anchor on transference to Clarence Terrace, the request | channel beside the Salt Com was granted.
sansing damage
The Captain Superintendent of Policə rə- Mr. HEWITT afirmed that as a Sanitary corded - Except as regards venison, this matter | Board they held no right to countenance | does not concern the Board at all, the use of human nightsoil in vegetable The application was refused. gardena, ・ and he trusted the majority of the members would endorse his opinion. As to the argument that those gardens would go out of cultivation if they were not allowed to use that manure, it seemed to him that some system ought to be adopted for storing the nightsoil in pits until the manure
ipeThis could be under government vision. Otherwise there was nothing to tsthe Cuiness using unripe manure for getables, and he instanced how his own gardeners used nightsoil against his axpressed
During the fortnight ended January 30th there had been 4,374 houses lime-washed in the Eastern district, 231 in the Central, and 3,755 in the Western.
There had been 11 prosecutions.
FAT BOILING SHOPS.
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