The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-01-01
NEWS OF CHINA
Action of HongkOng'S
Health Board.
Rats as PrOpagators Of the Plague -
More Instances Of PiraCy--Un-
safe for Foreigners.


fortnightly meeting of the Hongkong
Sanitary Board was held on Thursday
afternoon. The President (Dr. Atkin-
son. Principal Civil Medical oficerJ /
presided, and there were also present
the Vice-President (the Hon. F. II. |
NAV. Captain Superintendent Of Po- |
Iice). the Hon r. d. Ormsby director !
of Public Works., Mr.. E. Osborne, DIR.
Clark (Medical officer of Healthy, and
MIR. c. w. Duggan Secretary.
Sanitary Improvement Of Colony.
The President beg 10 move
the resolution which stands in my
name and which reads as follows;
"Tbat a Subcommittee of the Board
no Amounted consisting of the Medical
Officer of Health, Mr.. Edward Osborne,
and one other member to be nominated
by the President, to consider and sub
nit recommendations for the lorna
t!cn by Government of a Trust to be
endowed with percentage Of the as
se,.sed taxes, and of the premia on land
sales. and with suitable waste lands,
or otherwise, and to be charged with
the duty. and invested with the power,
of carrying out sanitary improvements
in the city of Victoria, especially in the
matter of the abolition of insanitary
areas and overcrowding.' The article
in the Engineer which accompanied
this resolution was brought to my no
tice about 10 months ago by Mr.. h. X.
Leigh. architect, of this colony, and
although thought the article afforded
food for very serious reflection by this
Board | did not bring it before the
Board because 1 was afraid that per-
haps it might act as a trail thrown
across the track of the progress of the
InsaniUary Properties Bill. Now tina
the Bill, thanks to His Excellency thu
Governor, who has taken so great al
interest in the sanitary improvement
of the town, has passed into law,
think that the time has come when W
should endeavor to place before tn
Government some recommendation
for the further sanitary improvement
of this city. The Insanitary Propertie
Bill will effect a great deal. but it II
duires no sanitarian to see that it car
not effect that radical change for tn
better which is absolutely essential
great many quarters of the city b.
fore this most important port an
center OF trade can rid itself of tn
dread scourge. plague, and from u
danger Of becoming periodically intec
ed with other epidemic diseases. Hon
kong is i'm its infancy. 1t has a we
large future before it, and it behoov
us men of the present day to- do all y
possibly can to make this port
healthy one Otherwise its develo
nent cannot be 50 large nor its futu
Sc brilliant as it ought to be. The 81
ject which is dealt with in the pap
which was attached to this resoiuti
is Of course a most difficult one, a
my resolution simply aims at obtai
ing consideration from men who h5
knowledge or sanitary matters
large business capacity to see If so
feasible scheme could not be laid BET
the Government. The Trust which
suggested I'm this resolution would
formed. | should imagine, not nee
-ar.,y by members o. ube Slntt
Board only. but would be or ought
be. "a public body composed OF the le
ing men of the city inter-miNed W
oficia,s-who have the necessary te
uical knowledge and capacity.
ought - be such body as would &C
maud the fuIIe-. confidence mol.
of the Government but of the pun
Tho advantage N.r such body We
have over q purely governmental Do
would he lha. IS funds would. thI
De augmcutrI Ivy suhs'r.Di
donations u.rh us IeE1C.0s Fl
wealthy non who have uhe .u,ere O.
this colony "a. hcara The GJvarUu
IL ALWAYS REGARDED by the public @