Anamusing case in Hongkong the other day exemplified the state of mind to which the ordinary resident has reached with regard to building inspection in the Colony. Te'was stated in the witness box that the inspector merely required to hang up his coat to find it heavier in pocket when he resumed it after his labours. Th reason for not sueing for libel for such a gross statement was that the libeller had no money to recuperate the injury inflicted. 'A person's character in the above situation is a minor consideration.
Affairs in Hongkong are really rotten when we have to contend against the buildings that have been built, and those that are building. We take up the nows-Bileet, the kitghon has collapsed and one spor and read that, say, at No. 58, First man killed, and on top of this we find that two unoccupied houses at Stanley have coll spsea, "fortunately without loss of down to the excessive rain and other life." What is the fault? It is put natural objections, but the human brain is never called into question. Is it anything new to have excessive rains, or is typhoon a novelty to the Colony " How is it that we have buildings of a genuine stamp that survive the greatest stress and are built. to suit climatic conditions witl out a waver in their stability The answer that on the face of it seems Brobdingnagian is really simple. Those in power have carelessly passed that power to subordinates, and the very people who are most righteously indignant at the state of laissez faire existing in the Colony are the ones to be really blamed. It gives x wide opening to the cynical philosopher who exclaims: " Why are fat salaries thrown at people who do not work for them? Let us institute Pocket Boroughs again," and thus it comes to pass that the responsibles live in fine substantial homes and the dregs are allowed to thrive in bulging walls and overbuilt structures. The only mercy extended is the permission to use your opposite neigh-hour's house to erect bamboo props to prevent your residence reclining in the Toad.
The typhoon of Saturday, the 2nd inst., stirred up a few of the rookeri but it also threw a light—this is mi: ing a metaphor, but no matt. upon some of the new buildings that are erecting and those that have been rooted. 8a preface to a graphic descrip tion of the blow and in recounting the disaster, the China Mail" truthfully remarks: "Add to all this the loss of 20 or! 30 lives—a painful sequel to the storm which cannot but be written down to the credit of the notorious jerry builder and rotten Government supervision."
The revelations of the typhoon were astonishing. In the spaces of land where new additions to property were impossible, it was discovered that the Chiaese hid cultivated a system of building upon buildings. A falling structure might have a new story placed upon it, and the toppling results euried disaster to the house door, and so" on.
Tt is too long to give instance upon instance of these catasjtrophes, but a mere glance at your Hongkong contemporaries will satisfy anyone that Government inspection is a farce and even Shanghai can hope to compete with 'During the typhoon, houses with only two years' credit to their age double up with cardboard facility. Take for example No. 45, Praya East; one of this group paid to look after the lot, and we shall hi more of these disasters as time proceeds.
Tt would occupy too much of your space. to give a catalogue of the Hongkong crumbles, otherwise the list would be lengthy and instructive, even to a casual reader. The wanderer who strolls under the bamboo structures of the Crown Colony gains more instruction in noting the feebleness of his surroundings, and he marvels that great minds are devoting elaborate attention to prevent rats leaving or joining a ship, whereas a stupendous subject, such as safety in housing, is allowed to occupy a secondary position in their thoughts. The final idea that crops up to the aforesaid wanderer is: there must be underhand work in the constitution, and squeeze is not confined to the Chinese.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.