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Enclosure No. 1.
MEASURES TO GIVE EFFECT TO MR. CHADWICK'S RECOMMENDATIONS OF 1882.
WORKS. Water Supply.
Mr. Chadwick in his Report of the 19th July, 1832, statel that the most serions sanitary defect of all was the miserably inadequate supply of water and alluded to the proposal to coustract new works for largely increasing it. This allusion referred to the Tytam Reservoir, aqueduct, filter beds and service reservoir, which were begun in 1883 and brought to a successful conclusion in 1889, at a cost of $1,257,474.
Very soon after the completion of these works, the distribution-system was taken in hand and practically reconstructel at a cost of $201,454, filter beds and a service reservoir for dealing with the supply derived from Pokfulam being carried out at the same time.
Since then 4 large service reservoirs have been constructed in various parts of the City, addi- tional filter bels have been provided for dealing with the water fron Tytun and numerous mains and motors have been laid down for the supply of the higher levels and growing outlying districts.
The dam at Tytam has been raise 1 by 10 feet, a new imponding reservoir has been built at Wong-nei-chong Gap, and 44 miles of catchwaters have beea constructed,
A water supply has been made available over the whole of the l'eak and Hill Districts, ranging from about 1,800 to 900 feet above sea level, with the necessary pumping machinery and service
reservoirs.
Waterworks have been establishe:1 at a cost of $125,678, which supply nearly the whole of the Kowloon Peninsula and a large new scheme, estimated to cost about 400,000, is on the eve of being
undertaken.
Complete works have also been established for the important villages of Aberdeen and Shau-
kiwan.
These numerous works have been carried on consistently with the funds at the disposal of the Government having regard to the demands for other necessary works.
In addition to the large scheme for Kowloon, already mentioned, another reservoir at Tytam is
about to be constructed.
The total expenditure from 1883 to the end of 1900, on the item of Water Supply alone amounts to $2,130,983.
Another of Mr. Chadwick's recommen lations under this heal was the necessity of a Water- works Ordinance giving power to check waste, &c. This was passed in 1899 and has since been steadily enforced.
Drainage.
His next recommen:lation in order of importance was the necessity for a proper drainage system.
This also has been carried out, a completely new sewerage system having been constructed for the whole of the City at a cost of $234,742. Not only so, but extensive works have been carried ont at the Peak, in the Kowloou Peninsula, embracing all the principal villages there, and in Aberdeen, Shan-ki-wan and Wong-nei-chong.
With this part of Mr. Chadwick's recommendations, the Chamber of Commerce appears to disagree, though its letter of the 7th June last opcus by charging the Government with not having carried out his proposals. It refrains however from giving any reasons whatever for the condem- nation of the separate system and confines itself merely to the general statement that it is eminently unsuited to the circumstances of the Colony. What opportunities or qualifications the Members of the Chamber possess for forming such a conclusion are not stated in the letter.
It may however be pointed out that, in the course of his report, Mr. Chadwick stated loud complaints are male of the stenches which proceed from the ventilating grating." From this it will be seen that loud complaints were common even in 1882, long before the separate system. existed.