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[Karoh 23, 1907. “
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH-My point is that it cases to be a yard.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
bring reason instead of emotion to bear on crime and its punishineut, it may be found that China's penal system-apart from offi- cial corruption and tyranny-is not so far amiss if left alone.
sentimentalism, would be unnecessary if the punishments were made to fit the crime. Those naudlin people who advocate the abolition of capital punishment, by the way, should be condemned to patrol the streets of places like Shanghai, with no weapon other than a walking-stick. Humanitarians are so inconsistent, so illogical. They will HONGKONG SANITARY go into bysterica over "dozen with the cat," while they will cheerfully attack their bam and eggs of a morning without a single pang for the man entering on ten years of prison life. So these cruelly merciful peopic of the soft heart and watery eye, these
JOB TROTTERS of humanitarianism, have induced Chiun to look askance at castigation, or to pretend tc. The abolition
BOARD.
Hou. Mr. HewsTT-For sani'ary purposes wouldn't it be better to have the water in the
yard than in a dark corner inside the building?
The MEDICAL Officer of HEALTH—Yes. Hon. Mr. Hawart-If you say the tanks ought not to be there at all, then the basiness must be transferred elsewhere.
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF Hralth—Most tanks are in an open area, but generally there is a place for the purpose.
Hon. Mr. HEwErr-Do you mean to say that s sanitary point of view the building from is unsuitable for that particular trade ?
The MEDICAL CFFIC R OF HEALTH-I don't think I'd go so far as to say that.
Hoa. Mr. HEWETT -That bɔing so, and see- ing that they must have a big tank to put more, if the carrying on that particular trade in the house ia question is uot insanitary, that the tank be allowed
stay wh-re it is. Mr. HоOPEя seconded and the motion was
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on March 19th at the Board Room. The Hon. Mr. W. Chatham (Vics-President) presided, and there were als present Dr. F. Clark (Medical Officer of Health), Hou. Mr. A. W. Brewin (Registrar General). Hov. Mr. F. J. Badeley (Captain-Superintendent of Police), Dr. H MacFarlane (ssistant Medical Officer of Health), Mr. H. umphreys, Mr. Shelton Hooper, Mr. Lau Chu-pak, Mr. Fangrattans io, I of judicial torture-unl accomplished, by the way-was a reform Ws chan and Mr. G. A. Woodcock (secretary). nt prompted by commonsense and justice, but the outcry against the cangue and the bamboo, as against the stocks and the "cat" elsewhere, was sheer sentimentalism. Great was the rejoicing when China talked of abandoning castigation. The news was equally pleasing to criminals and coddlers. A northern contemporary remarks:
"The abolition of flagellation in this Empire was nothing more, and was never intended to be anything more than a pretty pretence on which the Five Travelling High Commissioners should be able to pose before an all-admiring world as the representatives of a regenerated and civilised China. There is only one
place in China where the abolition has been carried out, and that place, curiously enough, is the very place where Chinese jurisdiction has longest been in abeyance.
In the Report of the Hau. kow British Concession will be found over and over again the record of blows inflicted, in numbers varying from one to five hundred, and the first step to be taken in Shanghai for the restoration of peace and order sboull be the return to the use of the bamboo; and that without delay. It would also be well if the use of the stocks be established, the same as it is in Hongkong."
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KOWLOON CITY SCAVENGING CONTRACT.
Regarding the scavenging contract for Kowloon City, Inspector Cameron reported that the contractor commenced work with twelve coolies and one foreman according to biz contract. Then about the middle of January eleren coolies aud on foreman only were em ployed, and at the end of the same month the number on contract war ten coolies and one foreman. On January 1st the Inspector took the foreman round streets of the city and showed him what he had to do. The work was done fairly well at first, but afterwards was sadly neglected, and the foreman at present seldom went in the morning to supervise the
coolies.
Dr. MCFARLANE, Assistant Medical Officer of Health, minuted that this small contract required the whole contract number to do the work in any way decently. The contract. number had not been engaged since January, therefore the contractor should be warned that this could not go on.
agree! to.
ما
A MODIFICATION WASTED. Application was made for a modification of the requirements of clanse 11 of schedule G. of the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance, 1903, in respect of No. 260 Des Voox Rad Central.
The VICE-PRESIDENT explained that the application was for a modification of the re- quirements of the regulations with regard to the erection of verandahs.
Mr. HOOPER asked if the building would be insanitary in law if it were, as it is, on private property; or was it only iussaitɩry because it was on Crown land?
The CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT or Pot.rc": -From a building point of view it is an en- croachment on Crown land.
The VICE-PRESIDENT-In my opinion the building is inadequately provided with open space. The Medical Officer of Health is more The SECRETARY wrote asking Dr. McFar-qualified to give an opinion regarding the lane if he agreed to a deduction of $14 from the monthly amount paid the contractor.
Dr. MCFARLANE thought $14 Was A fairly stiff fae, bat would probably pre rent any repetition of the offence. Later, he thought a fine of $10 would meet the case seeing that the contractor had been warned with no effect.
The VICE-PRESIDENT -The question is on9 of imposing a fine on the contractor for fail ing to supply a sufficient number of men in accordance with the terms of his contract. would be a Strictly speaking the fine if fully enforced sufficient to inflict
little over $14 but it might
& fiue of $10 ou this occasion.
Members agreed.
building from a sanitary point of view.
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH — Whether on Crown land or not the Bosed has power to require section 175 to bạ enforced. I have no objection to the erection of a balcony, but before it is put up the building should be made according to the requirements of the Ordinance.
The VICE PRESIDENT application be refused.
movel that the
Hon. Mr. HEWETI- -Here two points are involved which We ought not to. lose sight of. Mr. Hooper was quite right in braising the sanitary question, but there are also the rights of the Crown to prevent people encroaching on Crown Lind. I think the application should be refused, and will second the motion.
A YARD THAT IS NOT A YARD. The master of rattan shop applied for
a modification of the requirements of section 180 of the Public Health and Buildings Or-] dinance, 1903, in respect of Nos. 124 sad 140
Second Street.
Of course the authorities of the native city of Shanghai are no more sentimental than a weasel is. They know that their European neighbours dislike the idea of physical pain troubling the hide of the most callous criminal, and they chuckle to themselves
as they let the surprised malefactor loose again to kill policemen and break and burn property. "Improper to beat these men? Very well. Anything to please you, gentlemen. Truly they may well smile, as they note the Europei rejoicing over this “ symptom of reform." But, as we have previously pointed out, their humanitarianism wears thin when they come to deal with a criminal who has conducted his business elsewhere than in the Foreign Settlement. Really, it does not seem altogether fair to blame them too much. The Shangbai Mixed Court exists partly to confirm the European locus standi, and partly to assure the humanitarians that no brutality is practised at their very doors. A strong Government would have done away with such a dangerous anomaly long ago, and risked the jealousy of other Powers. The Chinese Magistrate sits to represent | Chinese sovereignty; the Foreign Assessor to represent Europe's humaner notions. Whether too severe or too lenient, the Chi- nese Magistrate is bound to offend, and we gee no inducement for him to pursue the gut be thrown into this tank? happy mean. While strongly sympathising | with the present troubles of Shanghai, we cannot refrain from pointing out that the public's present outcry for greater severity is as unreasonable and sentimental as its tears and rejoicings when one white man who had fatally shot another was not hanged as he ought to have bean. The peculiar provocation in that case evoked gallons of sentimentalism. When judges and juries
The VICE-PRESIDENT pointed out that tanks, which were necessary in this business, were retained in the yards of the houses in question.
Mr. HOOPER-What is the objection to their being in the yard?
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The MEDICAL OFFICER of Health -- Ása matter of fact the whole yard is converted into a tank which is used for washing rattans,
Mr. HOOPER-You get external air? The MEDICAl Officer of HEALTH-Yos, but not the other purposes of a yard.
The motion was carried.
QUAINT CHINESE PATI ION.
The following application for a piece of ground adjicent to the Man Chow Cemetery to be used as a grave space, came before the Board :-" The pitition of Pan Hang-tong, agent of Man Chow Club, No. 54 Connaught Road Central, first floor, applying for a' small grave space at the Man Chow public semetery in Mount Davis, showeth : -That about twenty odd years ago owing the Goverument erected 羯 fort at Mouat Davis and your petitioner found number of remains of some unknown persons were lying s^mwwhere near the fort, so your petitioner at ong, sent in a petition to the Government for a pi-ce of ground namand
Mr. LAU CHU PAR They don't
It cook their Man Chow which was afterwards granted ford in the house do they?
The MEDICAL Officer of HEALTH-Prob- ably in the kitchen.
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Mr. HOOFER - Åes you afraid that refase
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH-No. That doesn't trouble me in the least,
Mr. HOOPER -It would be very issanitary. Hon. Mr. HEWETT - How does the staff
drain of?
The MEDICAL Officer of Hz ›LTH—There is a pipe which is pulled out occasionally to let the water out.
be a breeding pool for mosquitoes?
Hon. Mr. HaWETT-Then the place might
Mr. LAC CHU-PAK-No, the water is not kept there long enough.
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to your petitioner to re-enter these remaiàs there. Bioes the place was granted your petitioner named it as the Man Chow Publio Comstery nad worshipped theos. remains every year in accordance with the Chinese custom, That owing at present your petitioner wishes to apply for a grave space somewhere near the Man Chow Pablic Cemetery at Mount Davis and prays that his request may be granted for which ho as in duty bound will ever pray.”
The MEDICAL Officer of HEALTH minuted -I think the application should go to the Government. The applicant was apparently allowed some years ago to re-inter some_bones the site indiested, but this iš a different
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now,
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