274.
1817
8
9
1820
1
2
3
4
5
7
( 142 )
A-They were all wanting. I am not able to speak about the Department at present, because I do not know the officers in it, and know very little about the work. The Waterworks of the Colony should have an Executive Engineer of some expe- rience in charge, and he should have an Assistant Engineer under him, and, of course, a reasonable number of overseers and clerks. I consider the staff is sufficient to attend to the maintenance of existing works and to carry out ordinary extensions, but not sufficient to design and carry out large new schemes.
Q-Then, speaking from your experience of Government work, do you think that the members of the Public Works Department have a sufficiently long day's work?
A-They have.
Q-And, speaking from your experience, were you under the impression that they did do their work when you were there?
A-I can only speak for myself.
Q-What impression had you yourself?
A-I should say there are always drones in any service, especially in the Govern- ment service because, in the Government service there is no incentive to hard work. An Assistant Engineer is an Assistant Engineer, and he gets paid as much whether he works ten hours a day or five. That is my view of the case.
Q-And sometimes officers are not promoted as rapidly as they might be ?
A-Some are not.
Q-Then with regard to the question of water, you had a great deal of experience in connection with the Waterworks; what do you think is the solution of the present difficulty ?
A-I think they should shut off the water from Chinese houses, as is done in Kowloon.
Q-The water is not laid on to Chinese houses there?
A-No, the water is not laid on to Chinese houses in Kowloon.
Q-How do you think we can get ahead of our requirements? That really seems to be a satisfactory solution, but irrespective of that?
A-Irrespective of that, to begin with, by carrying out the works given in Mr. COOPER'S Report of 1896.
Q-Do you think the carrying out of these works would put us ahead of our requirements?
A-It would give as much as four millions a day. The returns for 1900 gave the consumption at three and a half millions a day.
Q-If all Mr. COOPER's suggestions were carried out, are you of opinion that we would be ahead of our requirements?
A-No, I am not. By the time they are carried out, we will probably be up to four millions a day, if the Colony increases as it is doing now.
Q-When that happens
A-When that happens you must either pump or go to the New Territory.
Q--It has been suggested that the making of a dam at Tytam-tuk and pumping there would give us a supply equal to Tytam ?
A-I doubt that; it would give us a considerable supply.