HONGKONG.
129
No.
98
REPORT ON PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT STORES.
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government.
Public Works Department,
No. 1.
PUBLIC WORKS OFFICE, HONGKONG, 5th January, 1898.
STORE FOR THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.”
SIR, The necessity for proper store accommodation for the use of the Public Works Depart ment, in some fairly central site, has been more than once brought to the attention of Government, but as nothing has been done yet to meet this undoubted want, it seems scarcely necessary to refer to previous files, and I have the honour now to bring the matter to your notice hoping that it may bẹ possible to bring it to a definite issue.
2. The question was dealt with by the Committee appointed by His Excellency the Governor to report on the condition of Public Offices, from which subject, however, I think it should now be dis- associated as it really stands on a quite different footing.
3. Paragraph 14 of the Report of that Committee describes the present accommodation used by the Department, which I here again enumerate.
The Public Works Department Stores are now located in three separate buildings, viz., Crosby Store, No. 3A Blue Buildings, and at Wanchai Store on Government land reclaimed from the fore- shore, in addition to which a small store is maintained at No. 2 Tank in connection with the work- shop there, and some goods are also stored opposite the Sailors' Home.
4. Crosby Store occupies an area of 4,131 square feet and the old Education Offices (forming part of the same building but now unsafe and unoccupied) an area of 6,947 square feet, a total of 11,078 square feet of inost valuable land in the heart of the City.
These buildings are in such a dilapidated condition as to be positively unsafe, rendering their use as stores very limited, and should they collapse, likely to lead to considerable loss of the property stored there. I estimate that less than one-third of the space is capable of being used,
The site is probably as valuable as any in the City, and I have little doubt would sell now for over $12 a square foot, and thus bring in $133,000, to Government.
5. The store in Blue Buildings is rented by Government from the Land Investment Company at an annual rental of $949.20 including taxes.
6. The store at Wanchai on the Reclamation in front of Marine Lots 117 and 118 Praya East, though very small, is undoubtedly the most conveniently situated store we possess, and on this site I would recommend the erection of a suitable permanent building to contain all our stores, and a small residence for a storekeeper with accommodation for our workshops.
7. The present staff employed in connection with our Store Department are as follows:-
Head Storekeeper,.....
Clerk,
Four Store Coolies,.
One Watchman,
Six Do.,
One Indian Constable,
·
$60.00 per mensem.
10.00 33.00
11
"
....
7.00
"
36.00
門
13.50
-$159.50
or $1,914.00 per annum.
With all our stores concentrated in one place I would consider the following staff ample :-
Head Storekeeper (to do clerk's work also),
Two Store Coolies $10 and $7, Two Watchmen $7,
.$70.00
17.00
14.00
$101.00
or $1,212.00 per annum.