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HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE AMENDING ORDINANCE. A special meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on April 6:b, at the Board Room. The Hon. Dr. J. M. Atkinson (president), presided, and there were also present Hon. Mr. W. Chatham (vice-president), Captain Lyons, Hoa. Mr. Irvine, Mr. A. Shelton Hooper, Mr. Fang Wa Chan, Mr. II. Humphreys, Mr. H. A. W. Slade, Mr. Lau Chu-pak; and Dr. W. W. Pearse (Medical Officer of Health), Dr. Macfarlane, (assistant M.O.H.) and Mr. Messer (Secretary.)
The PRESIDENT said :-The business be- fore the meeting this afternoon is the dis- cussion of a minute on the Bill amending the Public Health and Building Ordinance, During the morning I received from oue of the unofficial members of the Board a report from two of the local firms of architects which Lunderstand includes the greater part of the criticisms of the unofficial members of the Board. la the concluding paragraph of this letter from the architects they state : -" W» would suggest an interview at which we could meet the Honourable Colonial Secretary and Director of Public Works to discuss the technical points raised in this bill, and it might possibly result is most of our proposals being adopted before the bill is read a second time". I believe it is the wish of the unofficial members not to consider this bill until after such interview has been held. With refereuca to Mr. Lau Chu-pak's miuufo on the bill it will be necessary for the Bard to have an ex- pert Medical Officer as one of its members. The duties of the Metical Officer of Health are specially laid down in the standing orders and they are practically the same as those drawn up by the Local Government Board at home. I very much doubt if there is any difference from those drawn up for the guidance of the Medical Officer of Health at Shanghai. These can be obtained, only it must be remembered that at Shanghai the same fficer practically combines the two positions of Medical Officer of Health and bacteriologist. With reference to the business, all matters that are strictly not of a routine nature are submitted to the Board. I have been president since 1897 and have submitted all matters to the Board in the same way as was done before the passing of the Ordiuauce 23 of 1903. Indeed the order of business is distinctly laid down in the Standing Orders. With regaid to the letter from the Government forwarding a copy of the Ilausard speech made by His Excellency on the amending bill I understand this was sent for the uformation of members of the board as a correct cpy of what he said and it was not intended that there
should be any discussion of the speech by members of the Bosid before it had been debited in the Legislative Council, If any member wishes to speak on this speech I do not intend to rule him out of order but would leave it to the sense of members whether it would not be better to postpoue any criticism until after the speech has been considered in the Legislative Council.
Mr. HUMPHREYS - Do l'understand that this meeting is to be postponed? I mean to say if w are not to speak about anything I suppose the only other thing is to adjourn the meeting. The PRESIDENT-Am I correct in saying that this report practically incorporates the greater part of the criticisms of unofficial members and it is not the wish of unofficial members to consider the bill until after their suggestion bas been carried cut?
I have supplied each of the members of the Legislative Council and of the Sanitary Board with a copy.
With regard to the overing letter from the architects and more particularly with regard to the last cluse pointed out that for convenience I sent up the report at once bat it must not be taken to include all the
amendments we might consider necessary. I have had no acknowledgment of that yet. Of course it w18 83at rather late on Saturday after noon. I do not know what view the Govern | ment might take of the architects' suggestion aa to the interview, but if the Government acquiesce in that then the discussion on the technical points of the bill may well stand over. Coming back to the other part of your speech, that the Governor's speech was not intended for criticism, I would in no way wish to harass or embarrass the Government by oriticising any remarks made by liis Excellency unless I think these remarks may have a bearing on the oon sideration of certain seotions, and bearing that in mind, and also in justification of the Commission which performed certain duties, and which His Excellency states has bien exceled, I foel that in justice-recognised by every English- man-that His Excellency would allow any member of the Commi-sion on behalf of the Commission to justify its actions if they were able to produce good evidence and show that His Excellency had been in advertently misinform-d. With that obj ict in view it would be necessary for me in justifying ourselves to refer to certain do cuments which were of a confidential nature. | I have the authority and permission of His Excellency the Governor tu 1130 whatever papers or communications I may think pro- per provided it is not to the disadvantage of the public interest of the Colony. tainly would not exceed that. I therefore think it will be necessary for me to cor- rect on or two statements in that aud I purpose to address my remarks now to one or two of them. If the Board as a Board think
I øer.
such a course is improper then I am willing not to proceed but unless the Board as a Board think so I think it is fair that we should endeavour to justify ourselves from one or two aspersions cist upon us.
The VICE-PRESIDENT-Personally, I am only one member of the Board but I think it would be somewhat improper to introduce these points in the discussion at this Board. The copy of the speech made by His Excellency was sent to us in order that members might have an accurate report of what His Excelleucy said on that occasiou as there were various mis- takes in the reports which appeared in the ordinary daily papers I think it would be somewhat out of place for the members of the Bard at this time to discuss His Excellency's speech.
Mr. HOOPER-I do not leave it to any individual member of the Board and I would therefore ask you to take a vote as to th wishes of the Board. In the event of the vote going against as we should have to adopt other meaus for our justification, for not only has it been sent to this Board but it has ben published in every newspaper. These charges must be refuted somehow, therefore I would ask you to
take a vote.
Mr. SLADE-I think Mr. Shelton Hooper does not really intend to criticise the speech of the Governor, He wishes to explain certain remarks made by His Excellency and to show that they were based, as he said, on "mis- information." It is not exactly criticism.
The PRESIDENT-As I have said I do not Mr. HOOPER-With regard to tho allusion
int-nd personally as president to rule Mr. that you have made to this report I think it Hooper, or an. other member who may speak on would be well to state exactly how this report this subject, out of order. I do not think it is comes into your hands. After the Bill was
a matter on which to tà e a vate. I think we presented to the Legislative Council' and read are justified in leaving it to the good sense of a first time the European landowners met and
Mr. Hooper to make any remarks he thinks fit. adopted a course similar to what they did
Mr. HOOPER-I thank you, Sir. I will try to in 1902 when the principal Ordinance was
correct these points and give no offence to any brought before the Legislative Council, and member and particularly to His Excellency, employed local architects to criticise the His Excellency said I would first remind technical details of the bill. In this case they you of the history and constitution of the emp oyed Messrs Leigh and Orange and Messrs Commission whose report may be said to be the Palmer and Turner and those gentlemen made immediate precedent oause of the present their report to the land-owners ommittee legislation. Complaints had been made by the which met on Saturday. I presided over that unofficial members of the Sanitary Board and meeting and was requested to send a copy to the others that the hands of some of the subor- Government and a copy to the Sanitary Board,dinates of the staff of the sanitary Department That is how you get it officially.
To save time were not as clean as they might be, and that
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[April 13, 1908.
law"
bribery, and corruption existed. The idea was conceived by my predecessor of appointing the unofficial members of the Sanitary Board to investigate those charges, more especialy because those who were accused were govern- ment officials! The terms of reference to the committee were expanded into sa inquiry into the administration of the sanitary My reply to that, Sir, is the invitation received from the Governor on the 24th April, 1996, which invited me to serve as a member of the Committee which His Excellency had appointed to investigate complaints in reference to the administration of the existing Public Health and Building Ordinanos. His Excellency goes on to say that the report of the Commis- sion gradually assumed the form of a severa oriticism both of the past and present action of the Government. It included mittera which had been settlel by the Sacre- tary of State bat 89 there word до officials sitting on the Commission who were familiar with the correspondence between the Government and the Secretary of State who might therefore have been able to correct misapprehensions, old ontroversies were awak- ened." On that point, Sir, I would say that the Commission was appointed ander the Com. mission Act. Under that Ordinance every officer of the Government including His Ex- cellency was bound to attend before as and give us what docum nts we wanted in ́oang we requisitioned them. His Excellency, of course, if he was displeased with our action, could have wiped out the Commission with a stroke of the pea but he did not do so, With. out divulging any details I may say that the Commission did see the despatches of the Go- veruor to the Secretary of State and the despat- ches of the Sauretary of State to the Governor. These despatches were obtained and the infor. mation obtained in the usual way through the Colonial Secretary with the apoial written permission of Sir Matthew Nathan. That point can be verified on reference to the documents. The Governor says further on, "I speak of some only of their proposals, nor do I think that they represent the wishes of the entire community.' With that I agree. No proposal ever made in this Colony would meet with the approval of the entire community. We then come to His Exosllency's suggestion that the Medical Officer of Health should have a seat on the Board, but as that will come up in discussion on the cɔn. stitution of the Board I think we might possibly leave it till then. The Governor incidentally refers to analogous matters about the chairm in of a company being removed from his post by Directors. Well, His Excellency was a little wroog, for the directors would have no power without consulting the shareholders and altering the Artioles of Association. then deals with the proposed head of the Sanitary Department and ssid:-" He will be. responsible for he proper spending of the votes for the Sanitary Department under the control of the Treasury and of the Audit Departmeat. The appointment however of the new head of the Department which is provided for in this bill does not in any way diminish the very large powers which the Ordinance confers on the Sanitary Board." Then the proposed estimates will be laid before us and he also proposes that the head of the Sanitary Department shall consult the Sanitary Board on suy suggested changes in giving effect to Sanitary byelaws; that be shall inform the of any change in the organisation of the staff; that he shall inform them regarding any recommendations for appointment, leave or dismissal of the European staff; and that he shall lay before them any complaint of the public regarding the staff.' It is the opinion of the Commissioners that the Sanitary Board should have unrestricted power of spending the entire sum voted for the "sanitation of the Colony. I would now reply from our report:-' would however remind your Excellency that we have not suggested any change in the constitution of the Board which should remain as at present. What we do propos› is that the administrative head of the department be trans- ferred
Board
We
The control
of the finances remains as at present in the hands of the Givernment." I think it is quite clear that His Excellency must have misread our recommendations. His Excellency goes on
to say that the Commission also suggested that
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