(2)
that he has been in the service 9 years last September, and was Acting Surveyor General for about 1 year and 9 months in the years 1881 and 1882; that the system of contracts when he was in charge of the Department is fairly well adapted to Hongkong; that he is unacquainted with the present system; that for important works tenders from 6 to 7 Contractors are received, for minor works from 10 to 12; that many so-called Contractors who would be inclined to tender if unrestricted are unfit to do the work for
which they tender; that as a general rule the Contractors sublet to others and in many instances the Government Overseers have to do the work which ought to be done by Contractors' foremen, consequent upon the incompetence of sub-contractors; that private architects go outside the Contractors usually employed by Government,—some Con- tractors prefer to work for private firms because they are paid better and have less trouble with private people; that Government works cost less than private works considering the superior character of the work done. He thinks that every Contractor should have a competent knowledge of the works he undertakes; that he has no reason for suspecting any of the staff of receiving bribes; that opportunities do exist for receiv- ing bribes, viz:-In making out Contractors' bills; in passing bad work; in doing work for incompetent Contractors; also in keeping back bills; that he insisted upon the fine system for overtime being introduced; that he enforced it on two occasions, once in con- nection with the turfing on Kennedy Road and again in connection with a sewer in High Street; that these fines were afterwards remitted, one by Governor HENNESSY, the other by Mr. MARSH; that he has heard rumours of Officers receiving presents; he thinks that the system of giving Christmas presents in the shape of turkeys, cigars, &c. should be stopped; he had heard it said outside that Officers of the Department received bribes, but he had no knowledge of such cases himself, and during the time he was Acting Head of the Department, or before or since, he had no reason to suspect anyone; that no partiality is shewn in the existing system of the distribution of contracts, but he is not now practically acquainted with the system; he is strongly of opinion that each Overseer should certify by certificate to the work which he is deputed to oversee in order to fix responsibility, instead of merely, as now, initialling the bills sent for payment; that a separate appointment should be made of a surveyor to undertake the measurement of work done otherwise than by contract; that the present staff is incompetent to do this work; that the duty of measuring work when contracts are not taken is done under the present system inaccurately by Overseers who are not competent for the post; that Messrs. CRAMP & HOWROYD, Clerks of Works are the only competent persons, of the class of Clerk of Works, on the Staff qualified to undertake such work; that advertisements appear in the Chinese supplement to the Gazette, and on the Notice Board outside the Office; he thinks this not sufficient circulation for Contractors and that the supplement to the Gazette in English and Chinese should be distributed gratis; that the deposit system is a good one; that the scale of prices is low; that Government work is not paid for too highly, rather the reverse; that inferior work can often be covered up which it would be im- possible for the Surveyor General to see if the Overseers fail in their duty; that on all important Government. Works there is a special Overseer always on duty and that such