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I
STAFF AND DUTIES.
The staff consists of the Director, Assistant Director, 3 Executive Engineers, 6 Assistant Engineers, 2 Land Surveyors, an English Draftsman, a Superintendent of the Clerical and Accounting Branch, a Land Bailiff, 20 European Overseers, and 124 Clerks, Foremen and others.
The staff on the Praya Reclamation consists of two Executive Engineers, a Chief Clerk, two Overseers and 46 Divers, Bargemen and others.
The total number of these two establishments is, therefore, 206, the monthly salaries and wages amounting to over $12,000.
In addition to these, the Survey Party, engaged upon the New Territory, which consists of an English Officer in charge and 152 Indians, &c., is under the Director of Public Works. There is also a sum of about $350 per week expended in wages for labour employed departmentally on house service work for Water Supply.
The Director of Public Works is a Member of the Executive and Legislative Councils and is also Chairman of the Public Works Committee, Chairman of the Queen's and Wongneich'ung Recreation Grounds Committee, a Member of the Sanitary Board and Member of the Squatters' Board. He is frequently appointed to serve on Com- mittees. During the past 8 months, Committees of which he was a member have dealt with the following subjects:-
Additional Market accommodation; Removal of Explosives Magazine; Removal of the Gaol to Stonecutters; Housing of Officials; Taxation of Land in the New Territory; and Provision of a Quarantine Station.
For the four first mentioned subjects, plans and estimates had to be prepared. The ordinary work of his office includes all transactions in Crown Land, appli- cations for extensions or conversions of lots, valuations of land, compensation to squat- ters, laying out of roads and lots, reporting non-fulfilment of building covenants, ad- vising Government as to all public works, revising specifications for important works, obtaining and submitting estimates, referring to Government matters connected with the Building and Waterworks administration, directing the staff of the Department, making arrangements to fill vacancies and other matters connected with the staff, and reporting on the staff and numerous other subjects. Besides all this, many important inatters came up for consideration. The following which have been dealt with during the past 8 months will serve as examples :--
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(1.) The Electric Tramways Ordinance.
(2.) The Kowloon Water Supply Scheme, estimated to cost $835,000.
(3.) The Praya East Reclamation Scheme, estimated to cost about $5,000,000. (4.) The abolition of the Quarry Farm and introduction of a new system of
letting the Granite Quarries.
(5.) The devising of an improved type of Chinese houses.
(6.) The reply to the Petition on the Sanitary Condition of the Colony.
Of the entire correspondence which reaches the Colonial Secretary's Office, fully one-fourth emanates from the Director of l'ublic Works, the remaining three-fourths coming from the other Government Departments (15 in number) and the general pub- lic. Of the latter portion more than one-fourth of the documents are referred to the Director of Public Works on account of their raising subjects which come within his
scope.
The Director ought also to exercise some supervision over the execution of works, but, under existing conditions, this is quite impossible.
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