Chong to improve the Shou Son Hill supply, but work was not started. Plans for a new workshop and Depôt for Kowloon were also prepared. Serious rainstorm damage occurred to the Shing Mun Catch-water on July 27th, when about 14 inches of rain fell, and extensive repair work had to be undertaken. Consideration was given to the question of modernising some of the older pump- ing plants, and orders for new plant were placed through the Crown Agents.
Electricity.
Electricity on the Island of Hong Kong is supplied by the Hong Kong Electric Company, Ltd., which has made so much progress in rehabilitating the generating station and distribution system that by the middle of 1948 the pre-war peak load of 20,500 k.w. had been exceeded and at the end of the year output was run- ning at about 15% in excess of that generated in 1941. This satisfactory result had been achieved despite the fact that the undertaking is still operating with such of its pre-war generating plant as remained at the time of the re-occupation of the Colony in 1945. The boilers, turbo-alternators and other plant had suffered severely from neglect and misuse during the Japanese occupation, and the boiler plant in particular has been subject to frequent breakdowns due to undermaintenance which in turn was due to shortage of plant and consequent overloading. It was frequently necessary to bring additional plant on load at very short notice and to effect emergency repairs to maintain plant in service with its attendant strain on the station personnel. Limitations on output were imposed by the inadequacy of the effective steam-raising plant. In spite of these practical difficulties which limited the effective capacity of the Station to 25,000 k.w., a continuous supply was maintained during 1948. The position will be eased to some extent around the autumn of 1949, when plant ordered in the United Kingdom in 1945/6 consisting of a 15,000 k.w. turbo alternator, and a high pressure boiler will be installed and placed in commission.
During 1948 7,261 additional meters were connected. A total of 366 street lamps were replaced and lit during the year. The number of consumers at 31st December, 1948 was 44,587 and meters connected totalled 51,886. A total of 82,993,274 units was sold by the Company during 1948, an increase of 19,009,873 over 1947.
The charges for electric current were reduced in January, 1948, from 37 cents per unit to 35 cents per unit for lighting while the discount rate of 5% for consumption over 1,000 units was
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