ENG-1952 — Page 128

HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT, 1952

Personal Hygiene

The Urban Council maintains four bath-houses in Hong Kong and three in Kowloon and New Kowloon. Each year, approximately 500,000 baths are provided free of charge for men, 250,000 for women and 250,000 for children. The seven existing bath-houses were built when the urban population was one quarter of its present figure, and long queues form at the end of a day's work. A programme for the provision of more public bath-houses and latrines is under consideration.

Markets

Apart from wholesale markets, there are 18 retail markets on the Island of Hong Kong and 13 in Kowloon and New Kowloon, two additional markets, one on each side, having been built since last year. The war years resulted in the destruction of seven markets, only two of which have been rebuilt to date. A programme has been drawn up in the construction of new markets.

The markets contain a total of 1,857 stalls for the sale of fresh meat, fresh fish, poultry, fruit and vegetables. In addition there are nearly 483 food shops licensed for the sale of fresh food. Licensed hawkers may sell fruit and vegetables, but fresh meat, fresh fish and poultry must be sold either at a market stall or at a licensed food shop. These restrictions are necessary to ensure that supplies are wholesome. Only meat slaughtered in one of the two government abattoirs may be sold in the urban area. It bears an official mark to show that it has been examined both before and after slaughter. During the year these abattoirs handled 623,571 pigs, 3,235 cattle and 9,561 sheep or goats; during the same period the carcases of 6,242 pigs, 178 cattle and sheep were destroyed as unfit for human consumption.

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