was constructed from the outlet of the Pokfolum reservoir contouring the hills at a height of about 500 feet above sea- level and terminating at a point above the central part of the city. It was 3.1.3 miles long and had a discharging capacity of nearly 1,750,000 gallons per day. The original cast-iron main which was thus superseded was taken up on completion of the work, which occurred in 1877.
The growth of the population and the increasing demand for water for industrial purposes soon rendered it necessary to augment the supply, and in 1883 the Tytam scheme was undertaken. The works comprised under it were, relatively to the Pokfolum works, of great magnitude. They included a storage reservoir with a capacity of 312,000,000 gallons, a tunnel and aqueduct, 1.38 and 2.93 miles in length respectively. for conveying the water to the city, a series of filter-beds and a service reservoir capable of containing nearly 6,750,000 gallons. The cost of these works amounted to $1,257,500, and they were completed in 1889.
To place the Pokfolum supply on an equal footing with that derived from Tytam, filter-beds and a service reservoir (capacity 941,000 gallons) were next constructed, and attention was then turned to the question of distributing the greatly augmented supply throughout the city. For this purpose fully 20 miles of cast-iron mains, varying from 14 inches to 3 inches in diameter, were laid during the years 1890-92; a system of hydrants being provided at the same time for fire- extinction purposes. Owing to the great variation in the levels of the city, which extended from sea-level to about 500 feet above it, the distribution system was divided into three zones, the excess pressure of the supply for the lowest zone being utilized for pumping water to the highest zone, whilst the middle zone was supplied direct from the service reservoirs. About the same time as the distribution works just described were being carried out, a scheme for extending the supply of water to the Hill District, which ranges from about 900 to 1,800 feet above sea-level, was undertaken. The scheme included the provision of a pumping engine, a rising main of heavy wrought-iron piping, nearly a mile in length, 5.1.8 miles of distributing mains, and a series of tanks for controlling the pressure and ensuring uniformity of supply. On the completion of the distributing system in the city the wells were closed, as they were all more or less contaminated or liable to contamination.
Notwithstanding the large Tytam works, the supply still proved to be inadequate, and in 1895 the raising of Tytam dam for a further height of 12 feet was proceeded with. This increased the capacity of the reservoir to 385,000,000 gallons. Subsequent additions to the works include storage reservoirs at Wongneichong Gap (1899), and below the overflow of Tytam reservoir (1904) with capacities of 30,000,000 and 22,000,000 gallons respectively; the construction of nearly 5 miles of catchwaters; additional filter-beds and, finally, a low- level storage reservoir (1907) in the Tytam Valley, with a capacity of 196,000,000 gallons. To render the supply from the last-mentioned source available, pumping engines capable of raising 2,500,000 gallons per day have been installed, and 3 miles of 18-inch cast-iron mains have been laid. The com- bined capacity of all the existing storage reservoirs is 699.000.000 gallons but, by the insertion of sluice boards on the overflow weirs, this is increased to 747,000,000 gallons.
A scheme for the construction of another low-level reservoir to contain 1,200,000,000 gallons has been prepared but has not yet been undertaken. A large increase in the pumping plant will be necessary in connection with this scheme and the rising main will have to be duplicated.
The frequent occurrence of periods of scarcity, owing to severe droughts, has rendered it necessary to adopt some means of economising the consumption of water. The means adopted has been the laying, throughout the Chinese quarters of the city, of what are known as rider mains, with which all house services are connected. These are subsidiary mains controlled by valves, by means of which the supply of water to the houses can be temporarily discontinued without render- ing it necessary to obstruct the flow in the principal mains, with which the fire hydrants are connected. The supplies to all European houses, which are connected with the principal mains, are metered,
The only supply obtainable by the inhabitants of Kowloon up to the end of 1895 was from wells, many of which were privately owned. In that year, a supply derived from springs in some of the larger valleys in British Kowloon was rendered available by pumping, the necessary engines, mains, service reservoirs, etc., having been installed. The quantity obtained from this source was about a quarter of a million gallons a day, which sufficed for a period to meet the needs of the inhabitants, but, by the time the new territories were acquired (1898), an increased supply had become a matter of urgent necessity. Works were therefore undertaken at the earliest possible opportunity for intercepting the waters of some streams on the Kowloon range of hills, thus rendering available an additional supply of 100,000 gallons per day which was laid on in 1900. It was, however, recognised that substantial works, including a storage reservoir of considerable capacity, must be undertaken, and a scheme, which is now (1908) nearing completion, was put in hand in 1902. includes a storage reservoir (capacity 350,000,000 gallons); a large catchwater, 2 miles in length, to supplement the natural catchment area; filter beds; a large covered service reservoir; 4 miles of main, 18 inches and 12 inches in diameter; and numerous subsidiary mains for distribution purposes. Public Lighting.
may be concluded that the gas lighting, which has been altered to the incandescent system throughout, is regarded as the more suitable form of illumination. In Kowloon, no lighting of any kind existed prior to 1892, when the Gas Company extended its operations to the other side of the harbour and laid down a small gas works, enabling the light- ing of the peninsula to be carried out. A comparatively short length of road has since been lighted by electric incandescent lamps, a company having been established for the supply of electricity to consumers generally. The lighting of the roads in the Hill District by means of incandescent gas lamps was carried out in 1905.
Control and Supervision of Building Operations Generally.
Up to 1889 but little jurisdiction was exercised by the Government with regard to the construction of buildings of a private character in the Colony. An "Ordinance for Build- ings and Nuisances" was passed as early as 1856, but its provisions were of a very primary description. In 1889, however, an Ordinance dealing in very considerable detail with the construction of buildings generally was passed, but such important matters as the regulation of the height of buildings, and the provision of adequate back-yards or open spaces were omitted from it. Subsequent Ordinances remedied these omissions to some extent, but it was not until 1903, when the existing Ordinance became law, that the matter was thoroughly gone into and remedied. This Ordinance was the outcome of the visit of Professor Simpson and Mr. Osbert Chadwick to inspect and report upon the condition of the Colony from a sanitary point of view. It may be mentioned incidentally that as early as 1882 Mr. Chadwick had reported оп the sanitary condition of Hongkong, but no adequate action appears to have been taken on his report, Hongkong has gained a somewhat unenviable reputation in the matter of collapses of buildings, in some cases attended by serious loss of life, but with the gradual reconstruction of the city which must come in the ordinary course of events, this reproach will disappear, the requirements of the present Ordinance as regards the thickness of walls and other points affecting their stability being much more stringent than the old.
Crown Lands.
The whole of the lands in the Colony belong to the Crown, and the supervision of them is vested in the Surveyor- General or Director of Public Works, as that officer is now designated. In the case of Kowloon, leases of considerable areas were granted to those inhabitants who were in occupa- tion at the time of its cession to the British and were able to establish a satisfactory title to the land, and a similar course has been followed in the case of all the petty holdings of the villagers throughout the Colony. The latter were not systematically dealt with. however, until after the passing of the Squatters' Ordinance in 1890. Except in special cases, the disposal of Crown land is almost invariably effected by public auction, the conditions of sale being notified before- hand in the Government Gazette and the terms, briefly stated, advertised in the newspapers. To prevent, as far as possible, mere speculative buying of lands, a building covenant is included in the conditions of sale, and it is only on the fulfil- ment of this that the Crown lease is issued. All Crown leases reserve a power of entry, for purposes of inspection, to the Surveyor of His Majesty the King, who is the Director of Public Works.
In the early days of the Colony, the leases granted were for periods of 75 years, but this policy was altered some years later, so far as the city of Victoria was concerned, and leases were thereafter granted for periods of 999 years. To put the earlier leases on an equal footing, it was notified in 1849 that leases granted prior thereto for a period of 75 years would be extended on application for a further term of 924 years. Outside the city of Victoria and Kowloon, except in a few cases, all leases issued were for a period of 75 years. Matters remained on this footing until 1899, when the Secretary of State of the Colonies directed that in future all leases, irrespective of the situation of the lands conveyed by them, should be for a term of 75 years, renewable, subject to revision of the Crown rent, for one further term of the same duration.
The revenue derived from land sales is very variable, as will be seen from the following statement of the amounts received during the past ten years:-
1898
1899
1900
1901
1902
1903
1904
It
1905
1906
1907
In 1857 the lighting of the streets in the city by oil lamps was undertaken, but this gave way In 1865 to gas lighting. a private company for the manufacture and supply of gas having been formed and entrusted by the Government with the public lighting. In 1890 a considerable section of the city was illuminated by electric arc lamps, but from the fact that no extension of this system has ever been carried out it
16
$133,318.87
617,824,72
816.222.92
240,315.06
571,361.22
510,165.71
486,098.64
392,259.76
315,733.21
159,750.29
In 1890, the rent derived from leased lands amounted to $180,170.86, and in 1907 it had increased to $371,167.80, or more than double, which may be regarded as satisfactory evidence of the prosperity and development of the Colony.
There are numerous other matters which come within the scope of the Public Works Department, besides those to which reference has been made, such as the care of the various public recreation grounds, the Colonial Cemetery, and the construction of piers, but enough has been said to show how extensive its ramifications are,