848
6
20. Miscellaneous Works.---The following are the principal items of expenditure under this vote, representing, in some cases, only a part of the cost of the work, in consequence of its execution extending into more than one year :-
Altering ground-floor windows of Central Market in order
to improve lighting,.
.$2,983
Constructing path from lower Tramway terminus to
Kennedy Road,..
2,045
Constructing rifle range in Tai Hang Valley,
Valley,........................
1,763
Constructing 12 wooden huts for lepers at Au Tau in the
New Territory,.....
1,785
Constructing workshop at Wanchai store-yard in substitu-
tion for the one at No. 2 Tank, which has been closed, 1,668 Carrying on operations for ridding malarial districts of
the anopheles mosquito,
1,919
Constructing new Service Reservoir in upper part of
Glenealy,
1,444
Clearing away débris, removing bodies, &c., from Cochrane
Street collapse,
1,127
Re-arrangement of telephone lines in connection with
waterworks, &c.,
1,041
Extension of General Post Office, including electric light
installation,
1,239
Laying on gas to the Belilios Reformatory,
704
Alterations at the quarters of the Principal Civil Medical
Officer,
443
476
400
Adding verandah at the Steward's quarters, Civil Hospital, Forming tennis court in Civil Hospital grounds, Providing cupboards for records in the Colonial Secre-
tary's Office,
439
21. Maintenance of Roads and Bridges in City.--The surfacing of macadamized roads with blue stone metalling, which was introduced in 1898, was discontinued in consequence of this material having proved to be unsatisfactory, and considerable quantities of it were taken up and replaced with grey granite. The blue stone, being exceedingly hard, appeared to resist the wear of the traffic, which is mostly of a light nature, whilst the material in the interstices between the stones wore away or was washed out by rainstorms, with the result that a very uneven surface was produced. The failure of this material, which had been laid down on most of the principal thoroughfares, caused a large expenditure in order to restore the roads to a satisfatory condition of repair. Considerable difficulty was experienced in ob- taining a sufficient supply of labour, which was doubtless due, in some measure, to the recurrence of plague during the year. Towards the close of the year an im- provement had been effected in the condition of the principal roads.
22. Maintenance of Road and Bridges outside City. The lack of labour was also felt in connection with the roads outside the City, a number of which were in an unsatisfactory state of repair for some time. This was remedied in most cases before the close of the year.
23. Maintenance of Roads and Bridges in Kowloon.-Complaints were frequent of the unsatisfactory condition of the Kowloon roads during the wet season. The development of Kowloon has been very rapid during the past two or three years, causing a large increase of traffic, which the decomposed granite surfacing hitherto in use for the roads has been found incapable of withstanding.