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October 20, 1906.]
HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on October 16th at the Board Room, The Bon. Dr. Atkinson (president) presided, and there were also present Hoo. Mr. W. Chatham, Vice-President, Dr F. Clark, Medical Officer of Health, Dr. McFarlane, Hon. Mr. F. J. Bad-ley, Lieut. Col. Jeslin, Hon. Mr. E. A. Hewett, Mr. A. Shelton Hooper, Mr. H. Pumphreys, Mr. Lau Chu- pak, and Mr. G. A. Woodcock (secretary).
ON TYPHOON R‣ LIFF W RK.
The PRESIDENT-Before beginning the business of the Board I should like to mention that the Registrar-General and Mr. Fung Wa. chup have asked to be exonsed from this after- noon's meeting as they are engaged in the work of typhoon relief.
CEMETERY BYE-LAWS AND COST OF OBAVES.
Correspondence was read relative to an additional bye-law for cemeteries other than Chinese cemeteries.
Mr. HOOPER thought the fees were too high. He failed to see why Government officers should only pay 75 cents for grave space while other residents had to pay $15.
The PRESIDENT-These hye-laws are only applicable to the Colonial Cemetery.
Hon. Mr. HEWETT-All oemeteries other than Chinese are presumed to be Colonial What is the difference between the Protestant and Parsee or Mohamedan cemeteries?
The PRESIDENT Cemeteries other than the Protestant cemetery-the Parses, Mohamedan, Roman Catholic, etc.-are, I understand, handed over to those communities and managed by them, and these bye-laws are not applicable to them.
Mr. HOOPER-In acc rdance with my minute, and in looking up the standing orders, I find no motion can be made for the proposition of a bye-law. The President merely states that the following bye-laws are to be bye-laws, so I don't suppose yon are going to make any motion.
The PRESIDENT-If van want to make any remarks you must move that the Board suspend the s'anding orders.
Mr. Ho PER-There is nothing before the Board at the moment.
The PRESIDENT-There is the consideration of this bye-law,
Hon. Mr. HEWETT-What is the bye-law? I have not seen the papers yet.
The SECRETARY r-ad the bye-law, which set forth the prices to be charged for grave space.
The PRESIDENT-If members wish to discuss the bye-law, I move that the Board go into committee. Discussion then could be more complete,
Mr. HOOPER-It will be public: The PRESIDENT-Yes.
The Board then went into oummittee and Mr. Ho ER asked whether there was any bye-law to-day governing the question with regard to fees as required by the Ordinance.
The VICE PRESIDENT There are Govern- ment notifications.
Mr. HOOPEE-Are those Government notifi- estions repealed by Ordinance 1 of 1903, section 16, which says that the Board has power to make and revoke bye laws? To-day there is no scale of fees chargeable in respect of graves, which has been made by the Board by any bye-law in force.
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The PRESIDENT—Is that so, Dr. Clark? The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH-Yes, probably.
Hon. Mr. BADELEY-Does this Ordinance repeal all the Sanitary bye-laws? It repeals previous ordinances but possibly regulations under those Ordinances stand good.
Mr. HOOPER-There are no bye-laws extant to-day which were made by this Board.
Hon. Mr. HɛWETT -Can you refer us to any clause in this bill which does not repeal other notifications?
The SECRETARY said there was none. Hon. Mr. HEWETT-Then I take it that this Act has repeated all previous votifications.
The PRESIDENT- -I c、nnot say.
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
The PRESIDENT-No, not just at present. Mr. H OPER-As a matter of fact does not it, by our making a new bye-law to-day, repeal any regulation made under another ordinance ?
The PRESIDENT-Yes, because now the Cemeteries are uuder the Board.
Mr. Ho PER--At the passing of this Ordi- nauce, and as part of it, there were bye-laws A and B referring to cemeteries which were simply divided into two clauses, A referring to other than Chinese and B referring to Chinese. I take it therefore that we are now dealing with clause A which will refer to any cemetery other than a Chinese. The first thing I would say with regard to the bye-law is that it is excessive to call upon residents in this Colony to pay $15 for a grave twelve feet in area. If you want to buy a piece of land to put up a house the Government will sell it to you at 50 cents a foot; that would be 86 for twelve feet. We are asked here to buy a piece of land which is necessary for the sanita- tion of the Colony, and they charge us $15 for it; therefore I would more that in the bye-law made the price of this ground should be rednesd to $5.
The that?
PRESIDENT-Does anybody second
Mr HOOPER-There is no necessity for seconding at all according to the Standing Orders.
The PRESIDENT-But we must get the opinion of the Board
Hon. Mr. BADELEY--Does not the charge of $15 cover everything ?
Mr. HOOPER-NO.
Mr. HUMPHREYS-I don't quite agree with Mr. Hooper on that question. In England the price of graves is very much higher where
the ground is not worth any thing like the money. Theu, a man only dies once in his life and can afford to pay for this luxury.
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Hon. Mr. HEWETT-I must agree with Mr. Humphreys. I don't think $15 is excessive as we only have to buy a grave once.
The PRESIDENT-We had better, refer this to the Law Officer of the Crown.
Mr. HoopEB-Under those circumstances will move that the matter be adjourned until we get his opinion.
The question then drafted for the 'opinion of the Law Officer of the Crown was as follows:-" Whether this Board has power to make bye-laws regulating the fees payable in respect of interments in all cemeteries in this Colony other than Chinese cemeteries, and whether this Board has also power to make any other bye-laws in connection with these cemeteries. Whether this Ordinance 1, as amended by Ordinances 20 and 23 of 1903, overrides all previous Government notifications, regulations and contracts in connection with the supervision and control of the variona ceme teries in the Colony,"
The Board resumed.
A QUESTION OF HEALTH. Correspondence was submitted relative to the use of human exoreta for manuring purposes.
The PRESIDENT minuted that the practice was both disgusting, dangerous as tending to produce typhoid, cholera, and worms, and, according to the scavenging and conserving bye-laws, illegal. The gardeners might be allowed to use stable, cattle and pig manure. though even that was illegal, and the bye-law would have to be amended to meet that necessity.
The PRESIDENT-I have been directed to bring this matter before the Bʊard, The advisability of using human excreta as manure is a moot point even among professional men. Certain anthorities in England are strongly in favour of it, and say it is a rational and common sens method for its disposal. They say 'Turn- everything to the soil and enrich the soil. other authorities in England are strongly opposed to it. As one of the members stated in a minute, where doctors disagree it is difficult for nou professional men to form a judgment. I think the practice as it already exists is a dangerous one to the health of the community, the quantity of vegetables grown in Kow. loon must be very small compared with the amount which comes down for in the Colony from Macao and Canton. The method in England of getting rid of the excreta is not dangerous to the public health because it is laid down in trenches and does not come in contact with the leaves, but with the roots of vegetables, The stuff is kept in sinks for sometime which Mr. HOOPER-We are speaking of Roman admits of its practically becoming innocuous Catholics.
Mr. LAU CU-PAK-What about the poor man; can he afford to pay $15 for a grave?
Mr. HOOPER-Why was the price fixed at 315?
Hon. Mr. HEWEFT-Because we were so rich in days gone by.
Mr. HOOPER-That is a good portion of a Portuguese salary per month.
The PRESIDENT-The Portuguese are Roman Catholics.
The PRESIDENT-Of Protestants. Mr. HOOPER-We are speaking of ceme- teries other than Chinese.
The PRESIDENT-Read the bye-law through! Mr. HOOPER (after reading)-Some words have been ad ed in pencil which I did not see when circulated to me. The words added are the Colonial cemetery" which I thought in- cluded the Catholic cemetery.
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The VICE-PRESIDENT- The Catholic ceme- tery is under the care of the Roman Catholic Bishop.
Mr. HOOPER-According to this Ordinance it is under our care.
The VICE-PRESIDENT-Not
as regards arrangements not provided for by the Ordinance. M HOOPER-Have we no jurisdiction : The VICE-PRESIDENT-Not beyond seeing that the graves are properly dug, etc.
Mr. OPER--And cannot we say what fees shall be charged?
The VICE-PRESIDENT-No.
Mr. HOOPER-I'd like that from you, Mr. P.esident.
The PRESIDENT-If the Director of Public Works told you, then you can take it as correct. He is Vice-President.
Mr. 00PR-Bat he has got no more say than me. He has got one say and oae vote, but still, if you will back up bis ruling and say that it is so-
The PRESIDENT-I have no reason to think that his statement is incorrect.
Mr. Ho PER-Will you say it is correct? The PRESIDENT-No, I won't say it is
Hon. Mr. HEWETT—That is a very important point, and the whole question rests on it.
The PRESIDENT-Ï take it that this Ordin- | correct. ance does not repeal Goverum nt notifications made under other Ordinances.
Hon. Mr. HEWETT-Can you refer us to any- thing ?
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Mr. HOOPER - Then we cannot get any |
further.
Hon. Mr. HEWITT — The question is whether this Ordinance over-rides later regulations.
from Typhoid fever and Cholera. The proposal before the Board is to enforce the bye-laws as they already stand, or to allow the use of human excreta. To allow the bye-laws to exist as they already stand is to practically wink at its use.
Mr. HUMPHREYS contended that the use of it should be allowed as the great quantity of vegetables which were shipped here from Canton and Macao were reared under similar conditions.
Hon. Mr. HEWETT spoke in strong condem- nation of allowing this method of raising vegetables to exist in the Colony.
Other members upheld or condemned the system of vegetable growing, and eventually consideration of the matter was deferred for a fortuight.
SCAVENGING AND CONSERVANCY CONTRACTOR'S PETITION.
The scavenging and conservancy contractor for Tsimchatsoi, Yaumati, Haughom, Taikok- tsui and other places at Kowloon petitioned the Board to grant him some compensation for losses sustained in the recent typhoon. The petition set forth that he had lost altogether 20 odd dust and conservancy boats, and one large junk, the amount of his loss being over 89,000.
Mr. LAU CHU-PAK minuted-I don't think the petitioner is telling the truth. The value-of his boats, even if all were wrecked, could not be more than $3,000. He had not 20 boats.
The petition is to be forwarded to the sub-committee of the Typhoou Relief Fund.
OVERCROWDING.
The report of the officer superintending overcrowding showed that for the month of September there bad been £9 prosecutions, and 260 persons had been ordered to vacate various houses.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.