No.
HONGKONG.
SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT OF THE RETRENCHMENT COMMITTEE ON THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor.
With reference to paragraphs 24, 25 and 26 of our report on the expenditure of the Colony, having taken the evidence of Mr. COOPER, we have now the honour to sub- mit the following observations respecting the staff of the Public Works Department.
2. In paragraph 25 of the main report we set out the value of the work done every year since 1882, together with the salaries and other charges. As pointed out by us, the salaries of the indoor staff proper amounted in 1874 to $19,225, and in 1884 to $25,428, whilst in the estimates for this year they reached the figure of $49,692.
3. A reference to the paragraph above cited will shew the very great rise in salaries since 1882. It is, therefore, a matter of regret to learn from Mr. COOPER that, with the exception of recommending that the offices of Superintendent of Crown Lands and Correspondence Clerk should be abolished, he has no other recommendations to suggest.
4. We would beg to call the attention of His Excellency to the fact that, in con- nection with certain works, there are employed an engineer, assistant engineer, over- seers and foremen. Take, for instance, the sub-department or branch of work of which Mr. TOOKER has charge; that officer has under him two assistant engineers, viz., Mr. HAZELAND and Mr. DRURY, also several overseers, to whom again are subordinated certain foremen. (Vide Mr. COOPER's evidence.)
5. We have examined the correspondence books and registers and are agreed that the office of Correspondence Clerk should be abolished. It is also our opinion that a Superintendent of Crown Lands is not required, as the extent of land is so small and the land itself is practically all waste, little of which is now put up for sale, there is, therefore, no necessity for such an officer, and we recommend that the post should be abolished as soon as possible.
6. One Land Surveyor, acting under the Director of Public Works, with a Land Bailiff, would be able easily to undertake all the services attaching to such an office; but we do not recommend the appointment of a land survey officer in lieu of Mr. MALSCH.
7. In presence of the evidence of Mr. COOPER, we are not prepared to recommend any further reduction in the staff, but we wish to record our opinion that, although we do not feel justified in suggesting any further reductions, yet considering the size of the island and the public works which are being carried on in the Colony, the staff is far too great and expensive.
8. It is largely in excess of what it was in Mr. PRICE's day when great and im- portant works were carried out; we, therefore, fail to see any need for the marked in- crease which has occurred in the staff of this department since the date of Mr. PRICE'S retirement.
9. With respect to the drainage of the City, on which a very large sum of money has already been expended and for which further sums will be required, we desire to record our emphatic and unanimous opinion that, so far as regards the removal of the offensive smells that at one period prevailed in certain spots, the present system has altogether failed, for there are many places in town and in the streets where the new system is in operation which are so offensive and productive of stenches as to be a dis- grace to any civilised City.
EDW. J. ACKROYD,
Acting Chief Justice.
C. P. CHATER.
J. J. KESWICK.
T. JACKSON.
325
24 95.