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August 25, 1906.
an officer has no right whatever to go and make any holes in that floor to look for a greater disease than he has found. 'Making good" in such a case is making good all the cement rendering and not the lime concrete underneath, and I think if instruc. tions were given to officers to limit themselves in issuing notices to the words of the Ordinance B.S a large landlord I should not grumble. What we have had cause to grumble about is the exceeding of their duty by officers who have made inspections. They have not only gone and dug up floors, but in the forms which are served on owners, the wording of which is taken from the Ordinance, they have struck out the words make good" and inserted the word
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re-concrete ". That is where the trouble is. If they find a floor of which the cement reader- ing is defective and that defect, which their technical training ought to tell them is a subsidence of the ground, then they are entitled to look at the state of the concrete. I would ask Mr. Humphreys to withdraw his resolution because I think if instructions are given by this Board to the inspectors there will be no further trouble. We must appeal to the President, as head of the Department, to give those instructions, and if have your word I shall be quite content.
Mr. HUMPHREY8-I think Mr. Hooper's argument would be quite sound if applied to a colony of white men only. But we must remember that the great bulk of the people here are Chinese who know absolutely nothing about the Health Ordiuauce or the nature of the laws of sanitation. If an inspector goes to them and saya "Your yard is in a bad state; re-concrete it," it never occurs to them to go to the head of the Board. They are helpless in such a matter and either contrive to bribe the inspector or do the work. I think if my resolution is passed it will get over a great deal of that, but if the Board is against it I have nothing more to say. In any case, whether it is passed or not, I certainly agree with Mr. Hooper that instructions should be issued by the President that the notices are not to be altered.
Hon. Mr. HEWETT-It seems to me that both Mr. Humphreys and Mr. Hooper have wandered away from the main point which is, what is the meaning of "make gond". I don't dispute for a moment that floors have been damaged by inspectors, but the Ordinance strictly lays down that if concrete is found defective it has got to be made good. Under certain con. ditions an inspector is perfectly justified in digging holes, and if he finds concrete perished it should be relaid. I take it that is covered by the Ordinance, and it is the only way to make good defective concrete.
The PRESIDENT-Instructions have been given by me already that the wording of these notices are not to be altered. They all come before me now, and I see they are issued in the words of the Ordinance. There is a power to open ground surfaces in the bye-laws, but that power is only given to inspectors on the signatures of the Secretary and M.O.H.
The motion on being put to the meeting was lost, and it was agreed to adopt the Pre- sident's suggestion.
BREEZY DISCUSSION ABOUT C.8.0'S.
With regard to the question relative to the discharge of waste water from the Aber- deen Paper Mills, the PRESIDENT said the Secretary had written asking that the nuisance be abated, and the owner replied that it was partly the fault of the Government. The matter was sub judice, and he thought it advisable that it should be discussed in private.
Mr. HOOPER-We previously discussed that matter before the Board, and a notice was served on the mill owner. I believe on receipt of that notice a communication was sent to the Board
asking them to review it. I would ask under section 37 why that notice was not laid before the Board.
The PRESIDENT-I did not read it in that sense. The letter from Messrs. Leigh and Orange in answer to the notice stated that any steps take to deal with the matter must be on the part of the Government; in other words, they repudiated all responsibility.
Mr. HOOPER-Why was their reply to our notice calling upon them to abate the nuisance
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
not laid before us? Those facts were not put | before us when we decided to send a notice.
The PRESIDENT-I don't think their letter is in any sense a review of the notice. It is a disclaimer of responsibility.
Mr. HOOPRR-And states their grounds Don't you think it should have been laid before us at last meeting?
The PRESIDENT-I don't think so. No. MR. HOUPER-It is your duty a administra. tive head of the Sanitary Department to withhold nothing from the Board; all documents of that nature sent in reply to decisions this Board has arrived at should be laid before members. It is a matter of principle. It may occur at any time, and W don't know where we are if certain evidence is withheld from us. Had we received that information when we sent the first notice I wouldn't have been a party to that notice.
The PRESIDENT-In spite of the fact that s nuisance exists?
Mr. HOOPER--In view of all the evidence. The PRESIDENT-It is laid down in the standing orders that the President and secretary are here to deal with correspondence and lay matters before the Board when complete. A notice was served by order of the Board to abate a nuisance and the person on whom it was served disclaims the responsi- bility. I take it that it is an ordinary function of the President or Secretary of the Sanitary Boar, or of any corporation or society, to ascertain what truth there is in allegations before laying a matter before his board, corporation or society. In this case there was no question raised as to any review of t notice until the letter was circulatad. The the question was put in another form. I think myself if the President and Secretary of the Board are not competent to make investigations in matters of this sort, you might just as well have no President and Secretary. As I explained to the Board before, I do not want to keep papers from members. They are welcome to know what I do all day long if they like to come and sit by my side. The Secretary forwarded the letter to the Government and asked them if they accepted any responsibility.
Hon. Mr. HaWETT-I must agree with Mr. Hooper that we should have been more fully informed. We have got only one or two small extraols before us. The Boir has not been fully informed up till now of the whole pro- ceedings, and I would ask that all the papers be circulated to members, and a copy forwardedd to the Commission.
The PRESIDENT-You have had all the papers before you except the C.8.0. documents, which I have no authority to circulate.
Hon. Mr. HEWETT-Can you give me your authority? When a matter has been dealt with by the Board I fail to see why it should be taken out of the hands of the Board and dealt with privately by the Secretary;
The PRESIDENT-I said I had no power to circulate C.S.O. documents, as they contain the opinions of the Law Officer of the Crown.
Hon. Mr. HEWETT The opinions of the Law Officer of the Crown are constantly circulated to the Board. The PRESIDENT Government.
By authority of the
Mr. HOOPER-With regard to your remark that you have Do authority to circulate C.S.O's, I take it that if they concern business which has been before the Board they should be circulated to members of the Board. Have you received any instructions from the Government that you are not to circulate C.8.0's. !
The PRESIDENT-I think you may take my statement for what it is worth. I have po authority to circulate C.8.0. documents to members of the Board.
Mr. HOOPER-Well, I will press my question again, sir. Have you received any authority from the Government not to do so?
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The PRESIDENT-I decline to answer the question.
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Mr. Hoo PER-I am very sorry you do that because in a conversation I have had with the head of the Government in this Colony, I believe either your memory must fail you or there is something wrong some. where, and the only way to get at it is by a resolution. I therefore beg to move that the
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Governor te asked whether he has given any directions to the administrative head of the Sanitary Department, or the President of the Sanitary Board, to withhold from members of the Sanitary Board any C.S O's, dealing with matters which have been considered by the Board." Mr. LAU CHU-PAK-I have great pleasure, in seconding Mr. Hooper's resolution. The motion was carried nem con.
OVERCROWDING.-
Inspector Coysh forwarded a report relative to overcrowding during the month of July, which showed that there had been 6) prosecu- tions as a result of which the magistrates had ordered 369 persons to vacate floors.
EXPERTS DIFFER
Samples of water taken from a well in the yard of No. 22, Stanley Street were forwarded to the Government analyst and the bacterio- logist for examination.
Mr. Frank Brown, analyst, reported that he was of opinion, from the results of his examination, that the water was fit for potable purposes, while Dr. Hunter, bacteriologist, was of opinion that it was not.
Mr. HOOPER minuted-How can we reconcile the opinion of the Government analyst with that of the bacteriologist? Have samples of the town's water supply, which are always characterised as excellent, ever been submitted to the Government bacteriologist?
Mr. HUMPHREYS-Quite simple. Bacterio- logy is one thing analysis is another. The addition of a few thousand cultivated cholera or typhoid bicilli to a tumblerfull of pure Tytam water could not be detected either by the appearance of the water or on salysis of it. The analyst declares a water potable that is virtually free from organic matter. The pre- sence of organic matter is not always harmful, thought it may easily become so and affords favourable environment for harmful bacilli.
Mr. LAU CHU-PAK---Is this water used for drinking purposes by the people? If not, tha well should not be closed as they are still suffering from want of water for cleansing purposes. Some of them do not get enough even for culinary purposes.
The REGISTRAR-GENERAL-What is the history of this well? Is it a new one or is
it an old one?
The PRESIDENT Both examinations are necessary to enable a medical officer to form a correct estimate of the value of the water for potable purposes.
Hon. Mr. HEWETT-If an analysis of water does not discover poisonous germs, the Govern. ment analyst should not be asked to report whea the result may be that be declares water as fit for potable purposes which a bacteriological test proves to be unfit for drinking. future all such tests should be made by the bacteriologist.
In
The PRESIDENT-The M.O.H. reports that the water is used for potable purposes, and recommends that the well be closed.
Members agreed that the well be filled in.
MORTALITY STATISTICS.
For the week ended July 21st, the Colony's death roll, based on a rate of 1,000 per annum, was 21.0; and for the week ended 28th ultimo 22.9, as against 21.1 for the corresponding week of last year.
RIOTOUS INDIAN SOLDIERS.
An exciting scene was witnessed at South Yaumati on the 22nd August, when a aum- ber of men of the 129th Baluchis ran amok. It appears that the night before one of their comrades had been assaulted by the Chinese. and this so influenced the men that arming themselves with sticks they proceeded to Yaumati, where they paraded the streets and maltreated all with whom they came in contact. They brought their sticks down on the heads of men and women, and naturally a great commotion was created. The police were powerless to cops with the rioters and a messige was sent from the police station to the officer in charge of the Baluchis. In a short time s detachment was despatched to Yaumati and the riot quelled by the disorderly soldiers sub- mitting to military authority.
A native woman had to be sent to hospital suffering from severe injuries to the hazi." A lakong was also injured on the head and several others report wounds of a less serious nature.
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Private notes are available after approval.