WORK UNDER THE BUILDING ORDINANCE.
213
35. Plans of 12 buildings for European dwellings and 51 for Chinese, besides 30 miscellaneous structures, have been deposited during the year. There have also been lodged 174 notices of additions and alterations to existing buildings and 381 of intention to repair.
Certificates have been granted for 165 dwelling houses.
Notices have been served in 91 instances to remove or repair dangerous structures, and in 1 instance to remove verandah enclosures.
Permits have been issued to the number of 515 for the erection of scaffolding, opening roads, &c. Permission has been granted to construct 14 verandahs and 11 piers over Crown Land.
Permits have been issued in 57 cases for the erection and repair of monuments and enclosures in the Colonial Cemetery.. The fees have amounted to $152.50.
All plans deposited have been duly registered and numbered; the registers are complete up to date.
36. It is worthy of record under this heading that the miscellaneous structures erected during the year include a large tank installation for the storage of 6,000 tons of kerosene oil in bulk at Tai- kok-tsui and that it is already proposed to make a considerable addition to the storage capacity of the depôt. There are also included a match factory at Hunghom and a reservoir near Quarry Bay for the storage of 107,000,000 gallons of water to supply the Taikoo Sugar Refinery, both of which are in progress. These works afford satisfactory evidence of the continued expansion of the trade of the Colony.
EXTRAORDINARY PUBLIC Works.
37. Central Market.-The whole of the walls have been built with the exception of the gables and the walls of the tower. The iron-work of the upper floor and nearly all the iron-work of the roof has been erected and the fixing of the timber-work of the roof is progressing.
38. Training Albany Nullah and Branches.-The invert of the tunnel which conveys the waters of the nullah underneath the service reservoir has been laid throughout with substantial granite masonry.
39. Slaughter House and Sheep and Pig Depôts.-The complete scheme includes the construction of buildings which are arranged on three terraces, but it is at present proposed only to erect those on the upper and intermediate terraces and a few subsidiary buildings on the lower terrace. All the buildings on the upper terrace have been roofed in and otherwise completed with the exception of laying the concrete floors and fixing some internal fittings, &c. The buildings on the intermediate terrace are ready for the erection of the roofs and the subsidiary buildings on the lower terrace are nearly completed. A dwelling house for the accommodation of an overseer to supervise the Slaughter House, &c., which is being erected in the vicinity, has been built up to a level of about 6 feet above ground level.
40. Gaol Extension.-The drawings and estimates were approved by the Public Works Committee and sanctioned by the Council in September and a contract for the work was let to Mr. Foo SIK (C.S.O. 1943) in the same month. Since then the old buildings occupying the site have been demolished and the excavation of the trenches for foundations is now in progress.
41. Kowloon New Roads.-Work was temporarily suspended from 13th January to 10th April. Since it was resumed good progress has been made and the whole of the roads are now nearing completion. A total length of 1.77 miles will be added to the roads in this district on completion of
the work.
42. New Water Mains.-A small expenditure has been incurred under this head in re-laying a portion of the main from Blue Pool to the East Point Refinery.
43. Sewerage of Victoria.-The whole of the main sewers have now been completed for the Central and Western Districts of the City with the exception of the outfalls which are to be carried across the new Praya now in progress. Two Contracts were let to Mr. Foo SIK (C.SO. 81) and (1988) in December for the whole of the sewerage of the Eastern District and the work will shortly be begun. During the progress of the sewerage works every opportunity has been taken to improve back lanes which form public thoroughfares. In several instances the sullage water from the houses on either side was discharged on the surface by the defective down-pipes and drains or was thrown there as the easiest way of getting rid of it causing the lanes to become filthy and noisome. Wherever the owners have re-drained, these lanes have been concreted and channelled, an impervious surface being formed in place of the porous surface which originally existed and which allowed the sullage water to soak into and foul the subsoil.
44. Water Supply, Kowloon Peninsula.The drawings and estimates of this work were approved by the Public Works Committee in July and sanctioned by the Council in August, and a contract was let to Mr. Chan A. Tong (C.S.O. 133) in September. Since that date good progress has been made. A length of 430 yards of cast iron pipes, 7 inches diameter, has been laid for conveying the water from the wells in the valleys to the pumping station at Yaumati and 470 yards of distributing mains, 4 inches diameter, have been laid in the village of Yaumati. The roads leading to the wells have been partially formed, the reclamation at Yaumati, including the training of the nullah, to form the site of the pumping station and clear-water reservoir is in progress and the elevated reservoirs into which the water is to be pumped are being constructed.