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(c) The Public Health and Buildings Or- dinance expressly forbids the erection of houses of this type of a greater depth than 49 feet, bat unfortunately the houses in question are ex- empted from this provis on. The mere fact of them being 8 exempled cannot be regarded as entitling them to special consideration with regard to other matters.
I can see no force in the reason that the owner could erect obimneys.eqal in size to the proposed latrines without requiring any modi- Boslion to enable him to do so. The buildings are shown to have the requisite chimneys which fall partly outside the building land sauctioned by the Ordinance. The Ordinance provides for tais.
The position of the latrines is not in my opinion more sanitary than if they were placed in the centre of the roof.
Mr. Hooper states that it would have been quite simple for the Government to have resumed and paid for the whole of the 2 feat lane or street between the blook of houses under construction and the adjoining block. Bo it would, but it would have formed a serious charge on the public purse. The Government
have agreed to pay $8,488 for the sight feet strip and at the same rate the compensation for the 22 feet strip would have amounted to $23, '82.
The Board is supposed to deal with each case on its merits; personally, I fail to see any merits in the present case.
The R GISTRAR GENERAL minuted :- Everything relating to modifications which have been granted to the owner of this build. ing is beside the question. The modifications were not granted or recommended by the Board and cannot be used as an argument against the granting of the request under consideration, for the building is legal and that is enough for us. The conscience of the community may have become quickened during the last twenty years and may not consider the t pe as unsanitary, but that is no reason why we should refuse a reason. able request for permission technically to in. fringe the Ordinance if the infringement is not insanitary.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND agreed to take them as read, but the VICE. PRESIDENT said it was usual to read the minutes, some of which he wished to hear.
Mr. HOOPER-That being so, my minate must be read.
(2) Ordinarily I am prepared to accept the M. O. H.'s opinion when he reports a proposal to be unobjectionab e from a sinitary point of view, and I did so in this case. But a el ser examination of the proposal makes me think it was quite unnecessary to recommend it and there is so objection to latrines being placed in the position proposed.
(3) As far as I can make out each latrine has a surface facing the road of 26 square feet, and this is equivalent to raising the building 14 feet.
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This means
sensible addition to the obstruction of light and air in the street on which the latrines look and the buildings on the other side of the street. The Sanitary Board has raised no objection to latrines in the centre of the roof; they are autoiently sanitary. The owners make them more sanitary in one way by putting them at the edge of the roof, but by so doing they make them more insanitary in another way.
(4) The fourth of Mr. Hooper's reasons is not very cogent an, if accepted, would lead to the Board sanctioning & veneral increase in the height of buildings. If a latrine, why not a kitohen and bathroom, raising the height of the building along the whole breadth of it seven or eight feet! But latrines and chimneys do not come under the same category and the w rding of ection 189 (1) shows the class of erections falling outside the building laws to be on the out-ide of the building. We do not look for ornamental towers and parapets inside a building, but that is where we would expect to find a latrine. | Farther the surface of the proposed latrine facing the street is more than double the surface of a chimney.
Hon. Mr. HEWETT—It's Christmas eve. The PRESIDENT - I'm afraid life's too short to read all these minutes. Are members prepared to disons the question, or shall we put it to the role?
like to refr sh members' memories.
Mr. HOOPER- Before you do that I would When this matter previously came bafora the Board I pro. nosed a resolution that it be referred back to the Governor-in-Council for reconsideration It was on that resolution I was invited to write my minute, aud that resolution 1 am prepared to renew in day.
Mr. LAU CHU-PAK second-d the motion.
Mr. HOOPER than proceeded to explain a few points. The Director of Public Works said he thought it would be quite as sanitary to place latrines in the middle of a roof as on a side of it. With all dne raspect to the Director of Public Works. Mr. Hooner wished to direct his atten- tion to the fact that the latrine in question was on a flat roof, and it was a very difficult thing to keep flat roofs watertight in this Colony and a latrine in such a place would not be as sanitary as if it were on the edge of a roof. He thought it was the Registrar-General who Raid the Fraction of this latrine would take away so much light and air from the street, and would amount, if laid horizontally, to increasing the whole hei ht of the building a foot and a half, but that did not hold good.
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The motion, that the matter be referred back to the Governor-in-Council together with all papers, was carried.
SECTION 175 AGAIN,
Correspondence was read relative to a modi. fication of the requirements of section 175 of the Public Health and Buildinga Ordinance in regard to Nos. 80 to 131 and 112 to 134 Queen's Road West; 34 and 38 to 46 Squar Street; and 207, 233, 235. 237 and 261 Holly- wood Road.
INSPECTOR FISHER stated-The houses mentioned in the list attached have no wards, but in most cases have lanes in the rear. Would it be advisable to have legal notices served directly on the owners, or should letters be sent explaining the situation so that they may make application for exemption without notices being srxd ?
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH-The Board are well aware that I do not recommend corner houses for -xemption from the provision of small yards for the reasons repeatedly stated by me, namely, that a ard is necessity as a place for the deposit of refuse, which should stand in a receptacle in the op in air, aud not inside the house.
Mr. HUMPHREYS-I do not gather from the correspondence oirculated that the Medical Officer of Health makes say definite recom- mendations or why so many houses in different localities requiring possibly different treatment are being dealt with altogether.
Mr. LAU CHU-PAK-What is the Medica! Officer of Health's recommendation in each case? The wall lit houses should be recommend. ed for ex-mption.
The applications were considered seriatim, 8 me being granted and some refused.
MOREALITY STATISTICS
The Mortality statistics for the whole Colony for the week ended November 30 give the total num er of deaths as 149, being 25 per 1000 as against 18.5 for the corresponding period last yer, Favers were respous ble for twenty deaths, chest affections for 37, diarrhoes and dysentry for five each.
The Chientan affair is reported to bave (5) The fifth of Mr. Hooper's reasons is the
resulted in the recal of the Chinese Consul. only reason there is for asking the Governor-General in Seoul, Ma Tingling. Ma has been in Council to reconsider his decision.
Mr. HOOPER-As Mr. Chatham does not consider it necessary to deal seriatim with the points raised i my minute, I do not propose to add anything further by way of minutes. I think the members of the Board can now easily see which is the better case.
A'd'scussion took place as to the reading of the minutes which were lengthy ones. As they had been circulated, the majority of members
reproached, says a hioa paper, because he reported without any foundation to the Waiwa pa tha: Japan had sent a large body of troops to Chieutao, while the facts are that Japan bad stationed there only fifty guards until the ques- whether Chientao belongs to Chios or Kores. tion which has been pending for several mouths,
is settled. It is reported that Ma will be suceeded in Saoul by Wa Chungtsing, the present Consul-General in Yokohama.
[December 28, 1907.-
HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
Minutes of a Monthly Meeting of the General Committee of the Hongkong Chamber of Com. merce held in the Chamber Room, St. George's Building, Hongkong on Tuesday. 12th No vember, 1907 at 3:30 p.m. Present :-Hon. Mr E A. Hewett (Chairman), Messrs. A. G. Wood, (Vion.Chairman). A. Haunt, D. R. Law, . H. Medhurst, J. R. M. Smith, H. E. Tomkins and A. R. Lowe, Secretary,
MINUTF8.
The Minutes of the Monthly Meeting held on 31st October were read and confirmed, SHANGHAI INTERNAD ONAL EXHIBITION 1809. The following letter from the Government was read :—
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 21st October, 1907. SIR I am directed to forward a copy of a latter addressed by the Chairman of the Shanghi Branch of the China Association to His Majesty's Consul-General at Shanghai on proposed to hold at that port in 1903, and to the subject of sa xhibition which it is
request that your Chamber will be so good as to furnish me with their views regarding the proposal that this Colony should participate.— I am, dear Sir, Your obedient servant,
The Secretary
sal.) F: H: MAY,
Colonial Secretary: <
Chamber Commerce,
China Association,
Shanghai Branch.
18th July, 1907.
Sir Pelham Warren, K.C.M.G.
H. B. M. Consul-General,
Shanghai.
SIR, I have the honour to inform you that it is proposed to hold an International Exhibi tion in Shanghai under the auspices of this Association during 1909 provided sufficient sunnort can be oblained.
The Exhibition will be called Shanghai In. ternational Exhibition and will be confined to staple manufactures and machinery.
to give particulars of space available for esch It is of course impossible at this early stage
exhibitor or of the terms on which space can be rented. I may however mention that 70 acres of land have been secured in suitable situation and I hope shortly to forward a plan of
same with proposed buildings. In the meantime I would be glad if you would communicate with the Governors of the various Clonies and ascertain from
tion is likely to them what measures of support the Exhibi receive from the manufac- turers in their districts, and if they will be
which it will be necessary to raise. prepared to subscribe to a guarantee fund,
So far as can be seen the scheme has every
beneficial to Bri'ish interests in the Far East, prospect of anco-ss, and will no doubt prove
Further particulars will be forwarded as soon as possible.—I have eto,
(8gd.) E. B. SKOTTOWE,
Chairman,
It was decided to reply that the Committes recommended the Government to bring the proposal before all likely Hongkong Exhibitore and to endeavour to form a coart thoroughly
dustries. representative of the Colony's trade and in«
CURRENCY QUESTION, The following correspondence was read :---
Colonial Secretary's Office,
Hongkong, 23rd October, 1907. 81. With reference to Mr. Thomson's letiør of the 21st May, I am directed to transmit for the information of the Chamber of Commerce the enclos-d onpy of a despatch addressed by Hir Majesty's Minister at Paking to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on the subject the representations made by the Chinese G vorn- ment in the matter of the reform of the currency u Chậna.—I am, Sir, You cbent servant.
(8ɛd) PH: May, Colonisi Secretary.
The Secretary,
Chamber of Commaros.
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