240
Mr. IRVING-I cannot see how it would work. The PRESIDENT-Mr. Hooper has moved that there be no such thing as a Sanitary Department. Does anybody second that?
Mr. HOOPER-Instead of that. I would more that the head of the Sanitary Department be under the orders of the Board.
Mr. LAU CHU PAK Beconded, and on a vote being taken only Messrs. Hooper, Fung Wa Chan and Lau Chu-pak supported the motion, which was declared lost.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Mr. HOOPER-Now we come to the Medioal Officer of Health. I move that the Medical Officer of Health be not a member of the Board | and in doing so I would quote from the appendix in the report of the Commission in which it was stated that this was proposed in 1895 and strongly objected to, I think the objection is perfectly reasonable,
Mr. FUNG WA CHUN secondid. Captain Lyons - I do not see why he should not be a member of the Board.
Mr. HUMPHREYS-I do. A secretary of a company or a manager of a factory is often called in to a directors' meeting and asked for his opinion but he is not allowed to vote,
CAPTAIN LYONS-A secretary of a company is not in the same position is an expert.
Mr. HUMPHREYS-The manager of a factory is in the same position.
+
Mr. SLADE-e is much freer if he has no vote. If he makes a minute and has a vole he is practically bound by his minute. But if he has no vote he can change his mind and assist the board to arrive at a better understanding
The motion was put to the meeting and declared carried by five to three.
Mr. HOOPER then moved that the Captain Superintendent of Police be a member of the Board.
Mr. FONG WA CHUN Seconded, and the motion was carried,
Mr. HOOPER-I propose the building work should be handed over to the Building En ineer. The arguments which have been put forward against this proposal that the £630 per year, whic it is pro- posed to give him, would not be enough for the class of man which would be required.
1
are
The V CE-PRESIDENT said that such a man On such a salary would have no standing among his profesional brethren who would command much higher remuneration in the Colony.
Mr. HOOPER said he could not see why a snita- ble man could not be procured for the salary, seB- ing that the Director of Public Works and his assistant had carried out the duties in the past.
CAPTAIN LYONS-Would there be sufficient wrk for a really good man?
Mr. HOOPR:—Que man does it at present. CAPTAIN LYONS - The Government appear to have decided against such an appointment and they will have more information on the matter than us.
ر.
The matter was not pursued. Certain proposed bye-laws were passed, and the meeting adjourned.
BUILDING AND SANITARY LAWS.
A report on the Public Health and Building Ordinanca 1908 now before Government has been made by Messrs. Leigh and Orange and Paimer and Turner. Addressing Mr. A. Sholton Hooper, as Chairman of the European Landowners, they say :-
We have carefully studied the proposed Public Health and Buildings Amendment Ordinance, 1908, and have the honour to hand you herewith a copy of the Ordinance and its objects and rea80DS interleaved with remarks.
our
We have indicated the causes in the Bill
which we consider invite criticism, and bare endeavoured to show clearly the effect the alterations will have upon the interests of the property owners and ratepayers,
We must call attention to our previous report upon the draft for the bill now being amended, viz., No, 1 of 1903. We then protested against the power intended to be placed in the hands of one man, the Sanitary Commissioner, and after discussion the sime was then vested in the "Board"; this Bill again proposes to do it, but instead of the Sanitary Commissioner introduces the "head of the Sanitary Department," (a
|
Cade!) who shall be responsible for the admini- stration of the Sanitary Department. One man! Such parts of the power as are taken from the "Board" altogether, are vested in the Building Authority, one man again!
+1
Section 175 is dealt with, and the words" by the owner remain. Their effect after nearly five years of costly experience is we'll knowu and 80 excellent opportunity arises for their de'etion.
Section 176 retains the provision for setting back from any slope or declivity,
one fourth the height of the building," instead of one declivity which is obviously the correct wording.
Oar predictions as to the effect of the aboli-: tion of cubicles in driving thousands out of the Colony, and affecting the cost of labour have proved to be lamentably correct
[April 13,
A NEW STEAMER.
1908.
sent
Not offen does a steamer leave the slips of the builder and undergo its trial trip on the same day, but this was the experience of the Chantabon," a steamer built by the Hong- kong and Whampoa Dock to the order of the Norddeutscher Lloyd for Siamese river trade in the neighbourhood of Bangkok. ¡The double event took place on April 4 h and the results. were highly successful, reflecting the greatest credit on the Dock Company. The new lighter, which is the sixth the builders have down to Bangkok for the same owners, bas a longth between perpendic lars of 152 ft. 6 in a length over all 158 t.; breath moulded 29 ft., depth moulded 11 ft.; height of balwark 2 ft, 8 in.; extreme draught 9 ft. 3 in She has two auls of vertical triple expansion surface- condensing engines, with a high pressure cyclinder 8 inches in diam-ter, intermediate pressure 13 inches, and light pressure 2 inches, in diameter, with a stroke of 15 inches. Sho has one cylindrical moulded stel boiler, return {ubular, 11 feet in diɩmeter and 10 fert We call attention to the serious drop in the long; Fox's patent furnaces, with a working value of property since the passing of Ordinance pressure of 170 lbs, to the square inch. Her No. 1 of 19 3. This is not entire.y due to overspeed is 73 kuots an hour and carrying capacity speculation, and trade depression, as some aver,
8,50 piculs. but it is largely accounted for by the reduction in the earning power of the buildings as now required.
We again protest against the injustics of legislation which is entirely aimed at the person most easily punished, viz., the landlord; in nearly alb cases of nui-auce the tenant is the transgressor, but baca-s he is difficult to catch and prosecut, he goes free, while the laudlord is forced to employ expert assistance, and is put to expense and annoyance,
Houses cost more and accommodate fewer persons, and consequently command less re it.
The Revenue from premium on Lands leased by the Crown has fallen heavily, the confidence of the Chinese in the Government has been shaken, and they now hesitate to invest money in real estate in the Colony.
In conclusion we suggest that an interview at which we could meet the Honourable Colonial Secretary, and the Honourable Director of Public Works, and discuss the technical points raised in this report, would possibly result in most of our proposals being adopted before the Bill is read a second time,
!
LEIGH AND ORANGE. PALMER AND TURNE3,
Ilongkong, 31st March, 1905.
THE PUBLIC HEALTH BILL.
With reference to the report made by two of the leading local firms of architects, at the request of the principal European laudlords, upon the Bill to amend the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance, it is of interest to know that the term principal European landowners" used in this connection includes the following:
Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Co., Ltd. Messrs. D. Sassoon & Co., Ltd. Messrs. E. Di Sassoon & Co.
4
Messrs. Siemssen & Co.
Messrs. Linstead and Davis,
Mr. H. N. Mody.
The Hongkong Land Investment and Agency
Co., Ltd.
The West Point Building Co, Ltd. The Kowloon Land and Building Col, Lid, The Hongkong Land Reclamation Co.; Ltd. The Humphreys Estate and Finance Co., Ltd.
The China Provident Loau and Mortgage
Co., Ltd.
The Canton Insurance Office,
The Hongkong Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. The China Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. The Hongkong, Canton and Macao Steam-
boat Co.. L'd.
The Spanish Dominican Procuration. Société des Missions Etrangères.
The Insurance Companies and the Steamboat
Companies have a considerable part of their
measures
reserves rested in house
property and are therefore vitally interested in any calculated to detrimentally affect their revenue from such investments.
During March the wettest day was the 4th when the rainfall amounted to 0.4 5. The total for the month was 0.765 which compares favourably with 2.86, the mean for the last 25 years. Most sunshine was recorded on the 12th and 3th, when both days had 9.9 hours. The total for the month was 146.0 as against 81.4 the mean for the last 25 years,
For the launching ceremony there was a staging erected at the bow of the vessel. On this were accommodated a number of shipping people interested and several gaert, Mrs. Von Reigen, wife of the N D. L. superintendent engineer, performed the ceremony of naming the boat. Speaking in German she said—” I am asked by the Norddeutscher Lloyd to christen you Chautaboon." With that she dished a bottle of champagne on the side of the steamer which now began to mora and soon slid down the ways, taking the water grace- fully. A salvo' of crackers and loud cheers signalised the happy event, Then Mr. Robert Mitchell, the chief manager of the Dock Company, presented Mrs. Von eigen with a watch bracelet as a memento of the occasion, aud the recipient expressed her thanks. After- wards the company boarded the "Chautab on,' which had taken the water with steam up and was gaily bedcked with banting, and the russel proceeded on her trial trip under the commud of C ptain Major. Near Aberdeen the tests were ran and satisfactory results Tiffin was served on board, among obtained, these present being Mr Robert Mitchell, Mr Martin (chief engineer Dock Co, Mr. and Mrs Vo Rigen, Captain Hermeling (captain superiuteuleut N. D. L.). Mr. Nielsen (assistant engineer superintendent N. D. .), Mr and Mrs Lambert, Mr Graham, (mang r of Kow- loon Docks), Mr H L Fletcher, Mrs Richar ison, Mr Hind, Mel'. Neave, Mr Tully, Mr Keith, and others. After tiffin,
13
Mr. MITCHELL proposed the togst "Success to the Chautaboon." He remark-d that it was departure from their usual cas.om to hare a trial trip on the same day as the
8
new
Не
the The
launching of a boat. Bat when he was asked if it could be arranged, he said it could, because he had every confidence in the staff (applause). Their trip that day showed his confidence was jus'ified (1pplause). thought they would all agree that vessel had done very well indeed. launch they had seen that day was the sixth vessel of lier class that the Duck Company had, bailt for the Norddeutscher
to very glad Lloyd, and that they had another one on order. That went to show that the Norddeutscher Lloyd had every confidence in the work of the Dock Company (applause).
be was
The toast baving been honoured,
say
Captain HERMELING invite l those assembled to drink to the health of the Duck Company's staff. He had seen the sister ships of the ons they were aboard working at Bangzok, and they were doing splendid work. The vessels had given the Norddeutscher Lloyd every satisfaction Those who knew all about ships could look over the Chantaboon and see everywhere evidenoa of 1st class work. The Dock, Company had earu d a name in the East as a first-class shipbuilding firm, and it was their staff who did the first-class work, He trusted that staff would always gemain as they were to-day. (applause),
"
Page 10Page 11
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.