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on.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
them to the four winds of heaven. I am quite willing that a trial should be given to these dispensaries and if, after having given the Chinese as many dispensaries as satisfied them, dumping continued, we should reserve to ourselves the right to take whatever further With reference ao ion we consider necessary. to the bye-laws we are asked to revise, think, Sir, that after the experience you had in this Colony you will admit that they are capable of revision. The sanitary laws them- selves are not so bad, but the grievances suffered have been due to the harsh and partial minuer in which they have been administered by the lower officers. I am not speaking of the higher officers. If the lower officers had exercised more dis- oretion. and shown more consideration for the feelings of the Chinese, we should have heard less complaints from the Chinese than we have. In these ciroumstances I heartily support the resolution, provided the word "only" is cut oute
day they give away 'medicines free of charge, and treat and care hundreds of people. A record kept by the Registrar General, copies of which are supplied to the Government, bears testimony to what I have just said (Applause).
Hon. Mr. HEWETT-With regard to the remarkė made by the hon. Registrar- General and other members I beg in the first place to say that I wish the Registrar- General had been a little more definite when speaking of the changes to be made in the bye- laws. It would have rather helped us if some sort of scheme had been put before us by the Registrar-General as to the lines on which we should work. That some change should be made is apparent by the number of dead bodies dumped in the streets; we should make regulations to do away with a crying eril. Personally, I am of opinion that the experi- ments made by Sir Henry Blake were highly successful, and should have been carried If something of the same sort were done again now, no doubt a great deal of good would result. We will have to amend our regulations. They are altogether too stringent, and as long them, we insist on
so long will we find the Chinese dumping dead in the streets. I am sure, T, and I hope we all thoroughly appreciate the good work done by the Registrar General and the gentlemen working with bim, in trying to bring about a better s'ate of affairs, and I think it is altogether wrong that private individuals should be called upon to inour an expenditure which should fall upon the rate- payers of Hongkong. I think it is our business to form some sort of regulations under which the prejudices and superstitions of the lower alacs Chinese could be coped with, and that the expenses of these dispensaries should all be met out of the public funds. I should be very glad indeed to see a sub-committee of the Board formed to consider matters, and to frame at the earliest possible date some scheme to be sub. mitted to the Government. No doubt in the
88
past we have not done what we might have done in obtaining the co-operation of the Chinese, and this is the position at the present moment
there is an enormous increase in the dumping
of dead bodies.
The VICE-PRESIDENT-The resolution is worded in an extraordinary manner. Anyone reading it would be forced to the conclusion that the sanitary measures adopted and carried out had been forced upon the Board in some way. But bye-laws providing for these measures have been passed by the Board, and the Board has it in its power to amend them whenever it thinks fit. I don't see that the wording of the resolution is given in the form one would expect, and I don't see that it should be necessary for the Board to put forward any such resolution, as the remedy lies in its own hands.
not
first read these
Mr. HOOPER-When resolutions I was quite under the impression that the Registrar-General had seen the report of the Commission. At any rate I can say that these resolutions suggest things which I am sure are
very inconsistent with the which will be ia the document
hands of members of the Board within three days. As an Englishman here, and a member of this Board, I must say that I don't like the word " "only" in the second resolution. I think if you (Registrar-General) will cut out the word "only," and say we will ask their co-operation, then it will meet with my approval. With regard to the dispensaries about which so much has been spoken, it has been suggested that they should be provided by Government at the public expense. I am heartily in sympathy with that suggestion. Whether or not the results will be worth the trial, and the time and money ex- pended, time alone will prove. What money is it, we ask, should be expended on these dispens. aries? The public rates. And when it is admitted that $17 out of every $20 is supplied by Chinese, I think we ought to expend a little at any rate, and give them an opportunity of experimenting and showing what they can do. It is only reason- able to let them have these dispensaries and run them in connection with the admirable work car- ried on by the medical authorities in this Colony, Personally, my opinion, when I read the document- was, that cremation was the best thing to do, I think it is out of place for any one to claim respect and reverence for the dead when people so far forget those who belong to them, and dump their bodies in the streets, and leave
L
The PRESIDENT-I agree with the Vice- President that instead of bringing forward a motion of this sort, which is very indefinite the egistrar General ought to have formulated the alteration that he wished to be made in the bye- laws.
With reference to the motion. No, 1 is
correct; No. 2 refers to obtaining Chinesa assistance which, as I stated, at the last meeting it seems impossible to obtain in those anti- plagae measures: Every attempt has been made to obtain this co-operation. Early in 1903 we went so far as to exempt houses, ex- cepting the floor on which the cases of plagas had been discovered. That was a great conses. sion. Later the officers of the Board assisted Sir Henry Blake in his cleansing scheme. These operations were commenced in 1903, and, I think, have been most effectual in dealing with the plague. With regard to these anti-plague measures more might have been done by the Registrar-General and the Chinese members of the Board, and also by the committee of the Tang Wa hospital if, instead of opposing us, they had tried to explain to the Chinese-
interposed an
The PRESIDENT-You hare stated these measures were oppressive:
The REGISTRAR-GENERAL-I have never
The REGISTRAR-GENERAL
objection which was not audible.
stated they were oppressive.
+
The PRESIDENT-You said so at the last meeting, but I will not admit that they are oppressive or have been non-effective If more assistance had been rendered by the Registrar- General and the Chinese members of the Board, I think this damping would never have been so bad as it is at present. To prove that the byelaws have not been ineffective I will give you an outline of our procedure during the last tou
[May 18, 1907. out that the same measures were meted out to Europeans as to Chinese.
Mr. LAU CHU-PAK interposed with the remark that the officers did not behave in such an inconsiderate manner in European houses as în Chinese.
The PRESIDENT was convinced that more good would have resulted from the discussion it the Registrar.General and the Chinese members had suggested in what way the bys- laws could be amended to the satisfaction of the Chinese.
Mr. HUMPHREYS pointed out that the increase of plague prior to 1903 was probably due to the inflax of population from the main- land. owing to the Borer rising and other - troubles.
The REGISTRAR-GENERAL having replied, the vote was taken, when all three resolutions were carried.
SUPREME COURT.
Monday, 13th May.
BEFORE MR. A. G. WISE (PUISNE
JUDG").
j
IN ORIGINAL JURISDICTION.
CONSENTED TO JUDGMENT.
Leung Ng Shi, a spinster, sued the Sun Choy Brick Company Limited for $150, being balance of rent due in respect of premises occupied by the defendants at 15, Queen's Road West. The original amount due was $238, of which 888 had been paid on account. Mr. Dixon, from the office of Messrs. Hastings and Hastings, appeared for the plaintiff and Mr. Otto Kong Sing appear d for the defen. dants, and consented to judgment on their behalf.
Wednesday, May 15th.
IN ORIGINAL JURISDICTION.
BEFORE THE CHIEF JUSTICE (ŠIB
FRANCIS PIGGOTT).
AN INDEMNITY CLAIM.
Lam Sin Chang and She Wai Chung brought an action against Yik Tong to recover $13,581.94 being money paid by plaintiffs as sureties for defendant on 5th May, 1905, on a promissory note dated 5th August, 1904, and made by the plaintiffs and defendan' and one Ho Li Cho, in favour of the International Banking Corporation, and as to 8748.60, money paid, and in the alternative Lam Sin Chang claims the sum of $13,581.94 ander a deed of indem. years. Since these plagne measures werenity, dated 22nd September, 1905, made between orought into force the number of cases has Lam Sin Chang and the defendant. diminished very considerably. In the years from 1903 to 1905 the average number of cases was 541, while in the three years before that the average was 1,212. If figures prove anything, that proves that the byelaws have been effective, and that the measures taken have been more or less successful. With reference to the present year it seems we are not going to have a severe outbreak. Last year the outbreak was more severe than in the two previous years fact which was accounted for by the scarcity of water interfering with the cleansing
arrangements.
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Mr. M. W. Slade, (instructed by Mr. Wilkinson, of Messrs. Wilkinson and Grist, appeared for plaintiffs, and Hon. Mr. H. £. Pollock, K C., instrusted by Mr. Dizon, of Messrs. Hastings and Hastings), appeared for
the defendant.
Mr. Slade read the statement of claim which . set out that Lam Sia Chang was a gentleman residing in Macao and She Wai Chung was a merchant carrying on business in partner- ship with Lam Sin Chang under the style of the Cheung Yu Hong at 61, Bonham Victoria. The defendant West, I am convinced we have gone | Strand
ia Macao. W88 A gentleman residing far enough in the way of concessions, if not too far, and I hope the Board will not Lam Sin Chang, on 21st August 19 3, at the make these byelaws any less stringent than request of the defendant became surety together.
We have gone as far as we ran
with the defendant to one Ho Li Cho as they are. possibly go in the way of concessions. The compradore of the Chinese American Com. Registrar General referred to what was being mercial Company, and on the 2nd September done in India, but the last figures show that 1903, plague is worse there than ever it was, so that it would not be wise to adopt the policy that has been instituted thers. No one can say that plague has increased in Hongkong. If you wish to o mpare countries near at hand. I have only to mention Formosa where the results show that plagua is just as severa as it was three or four years ago,
Mr. HOOPER asked if the President had heard regarding plague at Canton.
The PRESIDENT replied that there were no reliable figures from Canton, and added that the disease was worse in Macao and Canton He also pointed this year than in Hongkong.
the defendant executed a deed of
indemnity whereby the defendant indemnified the plaintiff Lam Sin Cang so long as he remained one of the sureties of the said Ho
Li Cho against all losses and charges which Lam Sin Chang might incar or suffer by reason of his becoming one of the sureties for Ho Li Cho The plaintiff Lam Sin Chang and the defendant continued to be at all material times sureties of the said Ho Li Cho, ~ In the months of July and August 1914, the said Chinese American Commercial Company had a quantity of goods in the possession of the International Banking Corporation as their agents. The goods had not been taken up in
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