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Q-Is it sufficient?
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5
6
7
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A—No, I don't think it is, because a good deal of Mr. FARRELL'S time is taken up
with the roads.
Q-And what, then, do you consider necessary?
A--Another European Overseer.
Q-Would he have enough work to do?
A-Plenty. Unfortunately, we cannot look after these lines properly just now because FARRELL has not got the time.
Q-And have you any other suggestion to make with regard to the telephone system?
A-None except in the New Territory.
Q-What suggestion have you there?
A--I think we ought to take out all the timber poles and substitute iron poles. Q-Substitute iron poles?
A-Yes. We have had some very bad experiences during lightning storms. When the timber poles were fixed in paddy fields we have had a lot of side flashing which wrecked the timber, and the consequence was that communication was cut off miles away from Hongkong.
Q—And to what extent do you inspect these lines ?
A-I go out myself once or twice a year and test them.
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Q-Does the telephone system work satisfactorily?
A-Yes, very satisfactorily.
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Q-It has improved lately?
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3
A-Yes, because we have got some new instruments from England.
Q-Your next duty is the maintenance of the Cemetery. A foreman gardener and two working gardeners are employed in addition to the men furnished by the the contractor. How many men are furnished by the contractor ?
etc.
A-Sometimes 16, sometimes 20, and sometimes 12.
Q-What are they employed at ?
A-Watering flowers, cutting grass, sweeping up leaves, digging up the ground,
Q-With regard to the tomb-stones in the Cemetery, does the Government look after them ?
A-Only to a very limited extent.
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Q-To what extent?
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6
A-Well, we wash them with soap and water sometimes if they are very dirty.
Q-
What increase of staff would be necessary were the Government to look after them properly?
there.
A-If we were to look after all the tomb-stones we would require a European
Q-Why?
A-Because the Chinaman who is there is only a gardener and tomb-stones are things that require a good deal of care.
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