714 THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, IITH SEPTEMBER, 1880.
REPORT BY THE SURVEYOR GENERAL.
There is the same volume of water now as formerly, though, of course, the allowance per head of inhabitant has diminished by the increase of population since 1868. There was then, as Mr. CREAGH This is owing to the rightly observes, great pressure on the mains, whereas now there is none at all. practice which was followed, without due consideration, up to 1873, of indiscriminately granting permits to lay private water pipes to houses from the mains, instead of reserving the whole of the supply for the public hydrants, where every ratepayer, rich or poor, could have procured his daily provision on the same footing of equality, while the Government could have retained exclusive control over the pressure for cases of emergency like fire.
At present, the numberless house-pipes everywhere bleeding the mains make it impossible to restore to the latter their former pressure. The chief arteries are, in fact, in such a state of depletion, that, in order to enable the water to travel any distance, it becomes necessary to cut off the rest of the city, and to concentrate the whole of the force upon one particular district at a time; each district in its turn being assisted in this manner once during the 24 hours. Permits for house-supplies were stopped in 1873, too late to do any good, as enough of them had already been issued to work the present mischief, but as there is so much rebuilding and restoration of house property going on all over Victoria just now, I think the evil might be somewhat lessened in course of time by declining to re-grant permits to these new structures; this would be tantamount to calling back former permits issued to the old ones.
The Attorney General remarks that, in all equity, parties suffering from the fire should be restored as far as possible to their former position, which opinion would naturally meet, on general grounds, with everybody's concurrence; but on the other hand, it should also be weighed whether, on the ground of public expediency, and looking to the exhausted condition of the public hydrants, the Government might not properly avail itself of the opportunity to assist the latter by declining to renew the permits. It is probable that if we had had water enough on Christmas night, the fire would not have spread as it did.
But, of course, the remedy for all this is more water from fresh sources.
30th April. 1879.
(Signed)
J. M. PRICE,
Surveyor General.
MINUTE BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVernor.
The Surveyor General's clear and practical report shows how this deficient water supply for fire brigade purposes has occurred.
I agree with him that we must increase our water supply. Looking at present simply to the question of getting more water for extinguishing fires, I should be glad if he would confer with Mr. CREAGH, the Acting Head of the Fire Brigade, and the Honourable P. RYRIE (who has, from time to time, made valuable suggestions to the Government on this subject), and consider the possi bility of utilizing more than has hitherto been done the water in the harbour.
As the town of Victoria is built on a slope along the water's edge, it might be possible to construct fire brigade tanks on the upper levels, or to adopt other means for increasing the supply.
(Signed)
J. POPE HENNESSY. 1st May, 1879.
No. 82.
GOVERNOR J. POPE HENNESSY, C.M.G., TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE SIR MICHAEL
HICKS-BEACH, Bт., M.P.
GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HONGKONG, 10th September, 1879.
SIR,-In my despatch No. 122 of the 28th of December, 1878, I referred to the fact that I was considering some improvements that I thought necessary in the existing organization for extinguish- ing fires in this Colony.