192
Resettlement Administration Section
4 additional Clerks are required in the main Resettlement Administration Office, Kowloon, as a consequence of the increase in the number and size of the resettlement areas and estates administered from this office. 1 additional Settlement Supervisor and 11 additional Area Officers are required to staff new multi-storey estates. The Foremen, Artisans, Gangers and Resettlement Labourers are required for sanitation work in the cottage areas and the multi- storey estates, and for the maintenance of the paths, steps, drains, channels and Government buildings in the 14 cottage areas. There is an apparent increase of 521 posts in these categories but 373 were previously provided for under Other Charges. The 4 additional Motor Drivers, 8 additional Watchmen and 22 of the 33 additional Messengers will also be staff formerly provided for under Other Charges. The 46 Office Assistants are required to perform duties previously carried out by Clerks and Resettlement Labourers.
Screening Section
3 Assistant Relieving Officers have been regraded as Area Officers.
Squatter Prevention
All the posts shown above as approved by Special Warrant during the year were required both because of the decision to establish a new Rooftop Squatter Prevention Section to stop further squatting on the rooftops of tenement buildings, and because of the increase in the number of persons attempting to squat on vacant land. 22 of the new Area Officer posts are for staff now graded as Overseers. The 24 posts of Squatter Patrolman will be filled by staff transferred from the daily-rated category.
The increases under Other Charges Annually Recurrent are attributable to the increase in the number of multi-storey resettlement buildings. The total provision however shows a decrease of $178,000 owing to the transfer of provision for daily-rated staff to the Personal Emoluments Sub-head.
Special Expenditure totals $1,108,000 of which $1,068,000 is for new construction works in the cottage resettlement areas, including the building of new paths, steps, channelling and drains, the provision of new aqua privies and the formation of new cottage sites, last year's votes being now rearranged to indicate expenditure by areas.
HEAD 37 — ROYAL OBSERVATORY
Estimate 1957/58
$2,237,940
Revised estimate 1956/57
1,528,000
Approved estimate 1956/57
1,433,870
Actual expenditure 1955/56
1,255,514
1956/57
Permanent staff
Supernumerary staff
Net increase
86
1957/58
86
Difference
2
+ 2
The additional post of Computer Class II, which is offset by a reduction in Class III, is needed to provide an additional shift supervisor. Two supernumerary Computers Class III are needed to make extra observations and analyse data during the International Geophysical Year only.
The increase of $165,000 in Cable & Wireless Charges is required to cover increased costs and expanded services. An additional $6,900 is needed under Stores and Equipment to cover price increases and to provide photographic paper for the facsimile equipment which reproduces Observatory weather charts at Kai Tak.
$172,200 is provided under Special Expenditure to meet the cost of expendible equipment required to make extra upper air observations as part of a coordinated world programme during the International Geophysical Year. The recorder of the existing anemometer at the Observatory is inaccessible, and a remote recorder ($7,500) will provide a continuous display of wind speed and direction in the new Forecast Room. $446,000 is provided to meet the cost of a Storm Warning Radar to obtain information of cloud and rainfall in the absence of surface observations, and in particular to meet a serious deficiency in the existing typhoon warning service.