58
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
listened to. etc., should be kept, and sug】 gestions from Chinese gentlemen invited as to how to make them more popular and to attract the populace I would gladly attend one or two; large meetings myself. (b) I understood that the Chinese gentry had it in contemplation to establish "Street Committees" consisting of the most influential and intelligent of the persons living in each street. In their bands would be the duty of preventing damping' of bodies, sanitation, rate-catching, etc., etc. Such a movement is also I think excellent and I should like to know whether it has fructuited
1
maasareg
до
[January 25, 1909,
THE CATTLE BYKLAWS, ju f sitting down to moderate such to gain their confidence it is certainly not wise Correspondence was submitted relative to the to talk of increasing the powers of the Board's amendment of the cattle byelaws. An additional offers by allowing them to prosecute the heelaw was proposed to be made under section inhabitants, not 00 16 of the Public Health and Buildings Ordin- majority of Chinese account of any criminal offence, but simply ance, 1903, as follows: "The drenching of any in their own animal with any substane whatever in a Gov. because they are spitting
and
their Own 'hanges
among
paople.ernment d-po“, except with the permission of the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon or Inspector Should legislation be recommended to go far?
mada to apply If these byelaws are
on duty is prohibited," offices, only to Europe in welling hou public vehicles, chairs and government building I would raise no objection in such cases. It i only right that the Chinesa should be taught how to behave themselves, but still the fine is heavy. I think $5 is a sum big enough for ecolies to pay.
•
The
REGISTRAR GENERAL-Is a spittoon included in the term "other place"? What is 'the exact authority under the Ordinancs for
these byelaws?
and what means lies in the power of the Gor ernment (or possibly of myself personally) to render it attractive to meu to come forward to serve on such committees, and to recognis, their efforts. (c) It seems to me that a useful object would be served if emigration from the congested districts of Victoria to town sites at Kowloon could be promoted by Gov. erument offering special facilities at the latter. (d) A great festival and procession in a month or so, would it be possible to include among the emblematio cars and effigies an antiplagu- design (similar to the cars in the Lord Mayor's show). My suggestions are not heroic and are mostly homely. We have I hop arrived at the stage in which some educational and practial means may be substituted for the more costly and drastic measures which are necessary when a great epidemic breaks out. Resumptions, evacuation, quarantine, and drastic cleansing
dislocate depreciate property,
frade and squander
With the decrease plague and the good results achieved by former, aotion I hope such remedies as I suggest may suffice.
revenu'.
in
The SECRETARY said that members of the Board would remember it bad been decided to ask the Government for permission to publish these papers. That permission had since been obtained.
.
SPITTING BYE!AWx.
A report by the committee appointed to consider the matter of the spitting byelaws was read, in which
made the following
recommendations:
they
1. No person shall spit in any part of any building, if such part is or may be used in common by two or more tenants of separate portions of such building, except in a back yard, lavatory, latine or urinal or other place specially provided for the purpose.
!
i
2. No person shall spit in any part of any bakehouse, dairy, aerated water fretory, fruit preserving establishment, library, museum or Government building or compound, except in a backyard, lavatory, latrine, urinal or oʻber place specially provided for the purpo e.
3. Any person who shall contraveno auy of the provisions of these byelaws shall be liabl- on summary conviction before a magistrate to, a penalty not exceeding 810.
The report was signed by Mr. H. Humphreys, Captain F. W. Lyons and Dr. F. Clark.
[
The PRESIDENT - Thes - byelaws are proposed to be made under section Iti, sub-sec'ions 10 17, 19, 20, 30 and 115.
The PRESIDENT read the proposed byelaws. Me, Lau Chu Pak stated that Chinese bouses, wer all occupied by more than two fepants.
The REGISTRAR-ĜENERAL said the byelaws really made people in Chiness houses law breakers
Hon. Mr. HEWETT remarked that whereas A знаг from there were about 100 death
Chinese of the; consumption
amongst the Colony, there was only about one death par year amongst the European population tha' was; traceable to that disease.
thought the best The VICE PRESIDENT thing would perhaps ba to refer the report back to the committes.
Colonial The PRESIDENT minuted-The Veterinary Surgeon had better attend the
The proposed new byelaw was adopted by meeting of the Board when this is discussed.
the Board.
PLANS AND THE BUILDING ORDINANCE.
Mr. B. Bretherton Harker applied for exemption from the requirements of section 180 of the Public Health and Building Ordinance 1904, in respect to Kowloon City lot No. 5301, The latter stated that his client had p'ana prepared for the erection of the houses, which ware afterwards altered to comply with the Ordinanca m n'ioned. These alterations were shown by red lines and figures on the orignal plans. The work of coustraction was entrusted to a contractor who carried it out without any professional supervision, the result being that he had adhered to the old dimensions. His client would be pleased to hand to the Govern. ment free of compensation the scavenging lanes if the Board would recommend it being allowed; the provision of open spacs to the buildings to remain as they now are with the exception of certain alterations shown.
Hon. Mr. HEWETT―This appears to be yet another case where work has been carried out before the plans have been passed, and an attemp' is now being made to induce the Government to griut exemption in order to
Hon. Mr. HEWETT-I would like to see the American and dealing with the matt r.
The PRESIDENT - That is being obtained for; make illegal buildings legal. I adhere to my original view that in cases of this sort someone members.
Mr. HOOPER said an dealing with ¦ should be prosecuted. If the existing law is In any case spitting was in force in Australia, and that too | inadequate it should be amended ought to be obtained for the information of, the matter shall ha represented by the San the committee.
act
The report was referred back to the em mittee.
THE SANIT RY STAFF
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L
#
1
tary Board to the Government,
The Vice President suggested that this matter stand over till the next meeting when further information would probably be available. The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH rep irted Hon. Mr. H&w TT thought they bould take a definite vote on the point he had raised in his as follows with regard to the reductions of the
It was simply a trick on the part of Sanitary Staff:-I have the honour to inform minute.
curtain architects, landed proprietors and landed you that inspectors Murphy, Willis and Suther lan returned to the police on January 1st. A owners, and it was done with the utmost effron- further reduction is due to the recent vacancies 'tory. He thought they ought certainly to record their opinion and direct the attention of the not having been filled. I have, in accordance with
It the law Was Gernment to the matter. your instructions, arranged for the abolition of the special duties of the senior inspectors, and inadequate to deal with the case and there was Fuilding O di sauce, then these also the prosecuting inspectors, and now have one to ba a new
cases ought to be provided for. inspector only in each district of the city who me for the sanitary
The Vies-PRESIDENT Said that in this 0189 is direct responsible to
Feed submitted, but there a plan had condition of the hangs in his district. The
regard to the Xma deficiency in scavenging work of the city is to be divided ; was
that
afterwards provided between three inspectors us of whom is at open
new plans were submitted, bat present on leave) and the remaining two are for and carrying out the duties. A similar arrange. ! the ower in carrying out the work bad ment bas been made in Kowloon, whereby a lapted the original plans instead of adopting one inspector undertakes the supervision of the amended plans. the scavenging work, while the two district inspectors report direct to Dr. Macfarlane, and are reponsible for the sanitary condition of the houses in their resp etico districts.
Mr. HoPER I am peas d to note that the recommendations of the Commission with regard to this part of the staff are being given off-et to What has been done about the abolition of the office of market inspector?
The RESIDENT -The post of one miket
inspector has been abolished, and the sanitary sint-nance of the market is supervised by the district inspectors
Mr. LAU CHU-PAK minuted-How are these byelaws to be carried out in Chin se tenement houses, almost all of which are used in common by more than two tenant? Fruit preserving es'ablishments and bakehouses include restaur- ants and cooking shops? So far as I understaud, the officers of the Sanitary Board or the polica will be empowered by these by. laws to give every Chinaman in charge that they shall happen to see spit in his own house or Chinese pu lic place of meeting. I cannot lend my support to the resolution. It is not true that "practi- cally every Chinaman spits." The better class of Chinese also dislike the habit. When they want to spit as it must be admitted every man must spit, they use spittoons or haudker- obiefs. It is only the lower class who spit at. The ESIDENT said the Government hop-l random for want of such articles. In teaching to introduce a new Ord nance and the whole of manners Chine a parents of the belter class · the proposed changes would then be fully ex- always warn their children not to spit in the plained to members presence of their elders, even when in every day. Mr. Ha PER · Has the market inspector life they see their children spit they object, put been abolishel? I noticw in the Chica Mol of because of any bygienic reason which they, the 17th of this mouth a market list rigoel C. do not understand, but be use in their W. Brett, market insp ctor. superstition the blessings in store for their The PRESIDEST-IL ́nk that is an rersight children would be reduced. I am
Mr. Hoop K-It is strange that we find a As not opposing on behalf of the better class.
mau signing official documents and supplying to the lower class who form the bulk of the
them to the newspapers in this way if the poscien population it is they who will feel the sting, has been abolished. Having called your atten- of these byelaws when adopted. What they tion to the matter I will leave it with you, and have been made to suffer by sanitary messures, if there is any irregularity you will hare all these years is well known. While we are righted. It is rather a curicus proceeding.
therefore
i
spac-
was
Hon. Me. Hewart-I'm quite aware of that. Plans have been pissed but the h ase has been built in a cordance with plans that were not accepted.
Mr. Hop R -aid it seemed to him that they had no jurisdiction in the matter. It was not anfonce against the Board, but against the Building Authority over whom the Bo rd had ne ntrol whatever, but who was armed with suffi-int powers to do wha' be thought proper. in the matter With regard to Mr. Hewett sang- gestin that the Government basked whether he law was strong maough to deal with such a case, and in the erout of it not bing so that the "w Ordinance should contain sufficient the case, he (Mr. Hooper) powers to weet
ught that such remarks would come better from M. Hewett in his place in the Legislative
t
Council.
Hon. Mr Herr - What I do as a member of the Legislative Council is my own business. Me pr unfortunately has thought it to b- somewhat personal,
Mr. HOPER --Ob, no. H.a
Mr. HewerT-I think the President would have been within his rights to bring Mr. Hooper to order, but he did not do so, and I I think we Lave done so on my own scor unt. would be perfectly justified as a Board in
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