PUBLIC UTILITIES AND PUBLIC WORKS
205
These rates are subject to a variable fuel surcharge which is at present 9% and will be increased to 18% on 1st March, 1957, to take account of increased fuel prices. Special rates are available for large industrial consumers.
Survey work for extensions in Lantao Island has been completed and on arrival of the necessary equipment erection of overhead lines, transformers, switchgear, etc. will proceed without delay.
The only other part of the New Territories to have its independent source of electric light is Cheung Chau, where there has been an electric power station in existence since 1913. Originally started as a community project, it later sold out to commercial interests and has since changed hands several times. The present owners, the Cheung Chau Electric Company, Ltd., have their offices in Victoria. The basic rate as from 1st March, 1956, is 95 cents a unit for lighting and 45 cents a unit for domestic and commercial power, with special reductions for larger consumers.
Gas. Gas is supplied on both sides of the harbour by The Hong Kong & China Gas Co., Ltd., which was first established in 1861. A completely modern plant has been erected at Ma Tau Kok and is already in operation. Com- pletion of the work will give it a nominal capacity of 1,900,000 cu. ft. gas a day for supplying Kowloon.
A new water gas plant has been installed at the West Point works on the Island, thereby raising the nominal capacity of the works to 1,750,000 cu. ft. gas per day.
Total quantity of gas sold in 1956 was 608,067,700 cu. ft. compared with 587,011,700 cu. ft. in 1955. The number of consumers rose from 8,447 to 9,320.
Tramways. An electric tramway service is operated by Hongkong Tramways Ltd. on the island of Hong Kong. The track, the gauge of which is 3 feet, is about 19 miles in length when calculated on a single track basis. It extends from Kennedy Town to Shaukiwan with a branch line en-