The Minutes of the last meeting are read, confirmed, signed by the Chairman and passed for publication.
Cush Statement for the past week is submitted, and cheques for sundry accounts are signed, Shanghai Home Guard.—The following letter is read and ordered to be published Country Club, Shanghai, 28th August, 1889, Dear Sir,—I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter No. g4?s of 21st inst., referring; to the formation of @ Home Guard," and asking whether the members of this Club would permit their premises on the Bubblin; Well Road to be considered as.a "place of safety" in case such should be required for the protection of women and children in the event of any serious disturbance.
In reply Iam desired by the Committee of the Club to inform you that they have pleasure in agreeing to your request, should any such emergency unfortunately arise.
Tam, Dear Sir, Yours faithfully, Gxo, W. Wixcrove, Acting Secretary. Joux Maccrecor, Esq., Chairman, Municipal Council.
Heulth of Chinese Prisoners.—The following letter is read and ordered to be published Shanghai, 30th August, 1889.
Dean Si,—At Captain McEuen's request I examined some prisoners in the Hongkew Gaol last Saturday and found five of them suffering from Beri Beri. While a variety of circumstances unavoidably connected with residence in prison combine to predispose to this form of sickness amongst prisoners, there seems to be little doubt, from recent researches into the immediate cause of the disease, that the dietary (including rice more especially) is intimately associated with that cause, and a thorough change in respect. to such diet has been found to be followed by a cessation of outbreak in prisons and on board ships.
I would therefore recommend that, if possible, a change of prison dietary be made.
I pointed out certain precautions to be taken about the Chinese kitchen, and recommend that the water closet and urinal arrange-may be replaced by earthenware vi
clean and free from smell all such woodwork b t being impossible to kee} material.
Lalso recommend the weel washing out of the cells with a 1 to 20 solution of carbolic acid, in addition to the daily washing and disinfection. lam, Yours faithfully, N. Macieop, Acting Health Officer. R. Toners, Esq., by Captain McEuen is also read, stating that it will be very difficult to find a substitute for rice, and that the Mixed Court Magistrate, to whom he spoke on the subject, does not think a change of diet necessary. The other suggestions can be carried out without troable or delay.
The Chairman says that it is very desirable that some change should be made in the prison, and mentions that H.B.M.'s Consul-General had spoken to hin on the subject, pointing out that if the Council undertake the custody of native prisoners, they are bound to seo that their health is attended to.
After some discussion as to whether the rice diet can have an injurious effect on the health of the prisoners, it is decided to instruct Captain McEuen to make some change in the diet if possible, and to see the other recommendations of Dr. Macleod carried out at once.
Lighting.—The following letter is read and ordered to be published Tite NEW SHANGHAI ELECTRIC COMFASY, Shanghai, 3rd Sept., 1889.
Stx,—I regret to learn from your letter of the 2nd. ult: that you consider that reducing the height of the poles on the Bund instead of improving the lighting has had the contrary effect, on account of the light from the lamps being very much obscured by the trees in their immediate neighbourhood; but I woul call the attention of the Council to the fact that much of the inefficiency of the lights is due to our having been asked by residents on the Bund to place shades on the lamps to prevent them from shining into their houses. These shades cut off as much as 50 cent., and in some cases 75 per cent. of the ight. centre of the road, wwe are afraid that mode "As regards suspending the lamps over the
of lighting would not be satisfactory, for the following reasons 1,—In case of high winds the lights would be unsteady.
2.—The expense would be considerable. 3.—There would be great difficulty in trimming the lamps.
We are, however, ig to make the trial, providing! the Council would not object to the attendant expenses of the necessary alterations, which amount to about is. 140 for each lamp thus suspended, with the addition of Tls. 70 cost of a special rolling, ladder to trim them. A sketch of the pro) arrangement is enclosed, from which it wilt be seen that the uprights require to be supported by stays, and the placing of these stays, and in some cases of the uprights, so as not to interfere with the tratiic, be attended with auch difficulty.
We would therefore suggest that we be allowed to place some of the lamps that require removal in the middle of the Bund, the expense of which would be only about Tis, 21 each, inclusive of the cost of " small refuge with two iron guard posts round the base of the lamp-pole.
In our opinion it is unnecessary to move more than 6 out of the 10 lamps on the Bund. We think those near the Margary Memorial, opposite the Masonic Club, near the Public Gantens, and near the Yang-king-pang creek bridge, do not require to be shifte Of the 6 lights which we think might with advantage be moved, two systems could be tried, by having 3 suspended across the road, and 3 placed ly the middle of the roadway 5 the latter 3 to be removed at once if found to interfere seriously with the trath We observe by the published' minutes of the Council's meeting of the 13th ult., that the Surveyor was directed to enter into arrangements with the Gas Ca., for lighting the Chapuo Road, and we take the liberty of saying that we should have been glad to have been allowed to tender for the same, feeling assured that we should have been able to satisfy the Council in the matter of lighting and the cost thereof.
Tam, Si Your obedient servant, Secretary. R. F, THoxnens, Esq., Secretary, Municipal Council.
Decided to refer the letter to the Surveyor, who will report upon the Company's proposals.
Additional Hydrants.—The following letters are read and ordered to be published Shanghai, 24th August, 1889.
Geytiemes,—The Municipal Surveyor has directed the attention of the Council to the want of supply of water in some of the districts of Hongkew for the purpose of extinguishing fires, and recommends that eight additional hydrants should be provided, say 3 in North Soochow road between North Honen and Shanse roads.
2 in North Kiangse road, north of the Tien-3 in Tsung-ming road between North Kiang-dong road,
se and North Szechuen roads.
At present there are no water mains in the North Kiangse and Tsung-ming roads, and only a 2-inch pipe in the North Soochow road to supply Messrs, Russell & Co.'s filature with water; but as a large number of native houses have recently been erected in those districts, and the number is constantly being added to, mains will doubtless soon be laid down in order to supply the occupants of the houses with water, and the Council will be glad when this is done if you will arrange for the erection of the 8 hydrants recommended by the Surveyor.
Tam, Gentlemen, Your obedient servant, R. F, THORPERS, Secretary: Messrs, Dayspate, Rixcer & Ca., Secretaries, Shanghai Waterworks Ca.
Shanghai, 2nd September, 1889.
Sin,—In reply to' your letter of the 24th ult., wherein you tell us that your Surveyor should be provided for fire service, say 3 recommends that eight additional hydrants
in North Soochow road, between' North Honan and Shanse roads, 2 in North Kiangse road, north of the "tien-dong road, and 3 in Tsung-ming road between Kiangse and North Scechuen roads, we are inatracted to say. that as the owners of this property do not hold out any inducement to our Company to lay mains for the supply of water, the Company did not contemplate doing $0 at
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.