( 43 ) 
that it is not uncommon to find that the English Public Health Act of 1875 
is freely adopted, with a few modifications, to govern the health needs of a 
tropical town. In this way a detailed and useful Act applicable to large 
cities and comparatively thickly populated districts in England is used for the 
preservation of health in a tropical country, with native populations, and for 
diseases for which we have no provision in England, although they are the 
chief causes of disease in the tropical country. Thus, whilst no less than 
nineteen sections deal with cemeteries in the Public Health Ordinance, Belize, 
1894, together with a whole page of explanatory text, I find no sanitary 
building bye-laws nor Ordinance to control the water supply. It is but just 
to state that an efficient measure to control the water was brought in, but it 
was repealed, and, as has been found, with disastrous results. In the same way 
urgently needed sanitary building bye-laws were introduced September 2nd, 
1902, by Mr. Cork, the then chairman of the District Board of Belize. I 
reproduce them, together with the deletions as recommended by a special 
committee appointed to consider them. 
No one will doubt to-day the wisdom of these measures as proposed by 
Mr. Cork ; for some reason some of the most essential features were deleted 
by the Committee of the Board and the measure was not persevered in. 
I recommend — having personally examined the insanitary state of nearly 
all the lots in the back of the town, where only extension can take place — that 
measures similar to those introdced by Mr. Cork in 1902 are most urgently 
needed for the sanitary control of the city. 1 
The Proposed Building Bye-Laws. 
Sanitary Building Bye-laws drafted by the 
Chairman of the Belize District Board 
(Mr. Cork ), and read at a meeting on the 
2nd September, 1902. 
1. No house, building, or other structure in 
the Town ot Belize shall be erected, altered or 
extended without the previous consent in writing 
of the District Board. 
2. Persons desirous of erecting new buildings 
or of altering or extending existing structures, 
should make application for the consent of the 
District Board. 
3. All such applications must be accompanied 
by a plan giving the boundaries of the site on 
which it is proposed to build, with some indica 
tion of the character of surrounding properties. 
4. The Board may require any or all of such 
applicants to produce also a plan or plans and 
sections of any such proposed new building, 
addition or alteration, which drawings must 
embody all the information required by the 
Board as to the sanitary and structural fitness of 
the building for the purposes proposed. 
Report of Special Committee appointed to con- 
sider draft Sanitary Building Bye-laws , 
on 2$th September, 1902, as per contra. 
Amended to read : — No house used as a 
dwelling, for purpose of trade or assemblies 
of any kind, within the prescribed line of the 
town of Belize shall be erected without the 
previous consent in writing of the District 
Board. 
No. 2 be deleted. 
No. 3 be amended to read : — All applications 
for such consent must be accompanied by a 
plan giving the boundaries of the site on which 
it is proposed to build. 
No. 4 amended to read -.—The Board may 
require any or all of such applicants to furnish 
such information as the Board may deem 
necessary. 
1 Paragraph (g) of Section 17 of Ordinance 30 of 1894 specifically states that it should be 
the duty ol the District Board “ generally to perform all duties and functions, and to do such 
acts as may be necessary for the improvement, development, and conservancy of the district.” 
6a 
