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A—I am not quite prepared to give a final and definite opinion on that point at present. My impression at the present moment is that it would not be desirable to increase the storage within the Taitam present gathering-ground, for this simple reason that the reservoir never got full last year. Therefore, it is no use increasing the Taitam Reservoir if it is not to get full in years of drought unless you increase it to such an enormous extent that you can carry forward stock from one year to another, and it seems to me, therefore, that the best thing to consider at the present moment is whether you could not put a reservoir lower down the Taitam Valley, nearer to the sea, or as close to the sea as engineering will admit. I say increase your gathering- ground as much again. You would have to pump the water.
Q-And do you think that would be the best plan?
A-I think after going fully into the statistics, that, at the present moment, that is the thing to do, and it is the only way you can get something approaching to finality. You will remember that almost all the drainage areas in the other parts of the Island have the best of them-been granted on long leases to private owners. There is Quarry Bay and Aberdeen. Of course, they could be resumed for a sum of money, but that would be very considerable and you would probably put stop to some more or less important industries in the Colony. The others are not favourably situated for the construction of reservoirs.
Q-Have you had time to consider the question of bringing water across from the New Territory?
A-I think it can be done, of course, either by a bridge or by a submerged pipe. Such things have been done, but I am not quite sure that the New Territory will give very much more water than it wants for itself in the future. If you glance at the map, you will see that there is not a very vast tract of country between the ridges of hills and the foreshore.
Q--And do you think it would be possible to construct reservoirs on that side which would furnish such a quantity of water as would meet all future requirements of the Island proper?
A--I think that by developing Taitam, you could get as much as would keep you out of want for a long time, but nobody can tell what the population will be in ten years, because it does not grow by increase of births over deaths. The question of what the population will be, depends on the extent to which you open up sites for houses, and I am bound to say that, as regards the water question, if the population goes on increas- ing as it has done-supposing they carry out that eastern scheme of reclamation—you will be in a very difficult position.
Q-We have had it in evidence given before the Commission that a great difficulty exists at the present time, owing to the fact that, whilst the supply is intermittent, our pipes have been made for a constant supply and not an intermittent supply. Would that be difficult to overcome ?
A-There will be difficulties, no doubt. I have devised a plan by which an intermit- tent supply would be facilitated and the evils thereof mitigated. It will be at least five years before works can be completed that would do away with the occasional necessity for an intermittent supply. The best way of restricting consumption in times of scarcity would be to shut off all houses that are not provided with meters.
Q-That brings us to the question of the water being laid on to houses. We have it in evidence that there is a great deal of waste owing to the water being laid on to Chinese houses. What would you suggest as a remedy for that? One remedy suggest- ed is to take it out of Chinese houses, but, apart from that drastic remedy, is there any other you could suggest?