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Q-Is that the whole staff?
(7)
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A-There are 5 Portuguese and Chinese Foremen in addition.
Q-Recently, as you are of course aware, there have been many complaints-well justified, I think about the roads ?
or,
A-Yes.
Q-What is the cause of this unsatisfactory state of the roads?
A-There are several causes which have contributed. One was the loss of our principal Overseer of Roads in the City (Mr. WILDEY who left the Colony in ill health about a year ago and died shortly afterwards). No steps were taken to fill his place, if it was filled, the man was diverted to other duties. He was not replaced by a man whose duty it was to look after the roads, consequently they were entirely under Mr. DOUGHERTY who had roads outside the City, as well as inside, to supervise. Then, I think Mr. WILDEY was a very capable Overseer as regards roads, and conducted his work very successfully while he was here. Another cause is the use of blue stoue, which was introduced by Mr. ORMSBY a few years ago. It is an excellent material for roadmaking where the traffic is of the ordinary kind, but here it doesn't seem to have succeeded at all. It will not wear down with the class of traffic that passes over it and there is no way of obtaining smoothness, because each stone forms a small knob and the rickshas run along making a series of concussions from stone to stone. We have now abandoned the use of the blue metal and have got the staff of Overseers and Foremen up to the proper strength for looking after the roads.
Q-Do you think the staff for looking after the roads at present is sufficient?
A-I think it is sufficient.
Q-But is the staff an effective one?
A-Taking into consideration 'the duties of Mr. TOOKER, I think he ought to be relieved of some of them to enable him to properly supervise the roads and some other
matters.
Q-By Mr. MASTER. When was this blue stone abandoned?
A-Only about two months ago.
The Chairman. With regard to the question of water, which has also been exciting the public mind especially since the water has been cut off and there has been an intermittent supply, you have seen and heard of many complaints?
A-Yes.
Q-What are they due to chiefly ?
A-They are due to the difficulties that exist under the intermittent system of providing a supply to all houses. From the configuration of the City there is great difficulty in getting the water to rise to all houses. It is quite possible for the houses on the lower levels to draw off the supply and prevent it rising to the higher houses. That is at the bottom of a lot of these complaints.
Q-Have these complaints ceased now ?
A-I have not had any for the last couple of days, I think.
Q-What steps have you taken to meet the complaints ?
A-We have done the best we can in adjusting the valves throughout the differ- ent parts of the City to avoid the extremely heavy consumption in the lower levels. We have divided the Peak up into a number of districts-as it was utterly impossible to ensure a supply to all the houses otherwise-and turn on the water for half an hour or an hour according to the extent of each district,
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