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scheme, was finally removed before the close of the year, but some work still remained to be done in altering the surfaces of the adjoining roads. In continuation of the experiments with different classes of paving, a small portion of Des Voeux Road at its intersection with Ice House Street was laid with wood blocks Borneo Camphor wood) and a length of Queen's Road West was laid with large, squared granite blocks and a further length with ordinary granite setts, 6" x 6" x 3". Generally speaking the roads throughout the City were main- tained in good condition with concrete or macadam as the case may be.
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27. Maintenance of Rouds and Bridges outside City.-All the roads were maintained generally in good condition, the damage done by rainstorms being repaired as expeditiously as possible, and many of those finished with decomposed granite were resurfaced. Hatton Road, which connects Robinson and Conduit Roads with Harlech Road and which was con- structed by the Military Authorities, was taken over by the Public Works Department as one of the public roads.
28. Maintenance of Roads and Bridges in Kowloon.-Improvements and extensions of various reads, the laying of water mains in connection with the new Kowloon Gravitation Scheme and the quarrying operations which were in progress in many parts of the Peninsula all contributed to prevent the roads being maintained in a satisfactory condition. Owing to reclamation schemes and the construction of the railway, there is still much to be done in the way of altering the lines and levels of roads, with the necessary accompaniment of altering gas and water mains, sewers, &c., but the scheme which is now being carried out, besides providing for what is regarded as the maximum extent of reclamation that can be permitted, is designed to afford a system of main thoroughfares which should be equal to the require- ments of Kowl on when it has developed into a large city. The roads generally were maintained in good condition except where affected by the operations already mentioned. The typhoons caused serious damage to any portions of roads which approached the harbour, those on the West side suffering during the typhoon of the 18th September and those on the East side during the subsequent typhoons.
29. Maintenance of Roads and Bridges in New Territories.-The surface of Tai Po Road suffered much during the year. principally from the heavy traffic, carried on by bullock- carts, in connection with the construction of the railway. During wet weather, the carts cut up the road badly rendering it almost impassable in places. In order to render the road fit for such traffic, it was considered advisable to macadamize that portion of it lying between the 9th and 11th milestones and this work was well advanced at the close of the year. It was arranged that the cost should be divided equally between the Railway and Public Works Department funds. One of the improved native tracks, which skirts the shores of Tolo Harbour for a long distance and leads from Tai Po to Shun Wan, was much damaged by the typhoons, some portions of it being completely washed away. The other improved tracks were maintained in good order.
30. Maintenance of Telegraphs.-Telephone lines were constructed between the follow- ing points:-
Central Police Station Exchange and Sanitary Board Office.
Green Island Lighthouse and Custodian's Quarters, Gunpowder Depôt.
Do.
do.
and Signal Station.
Colonial Secretary's Office Exchange and Postmaster General's Office.
Do.
do.
do. and Tai Po (not completed).
New Harbour Office--branch lines to the various sub-departments.
Alterations were made in the positions of the telephones in various Government build- ings and, consequent on the handing over of the old gunpowder depôt on Stonecutters Island to the Military Authorities, the telephone line to the Island was discontinued.
The work of metallic circuiting was continued, but progress with it was much interrupt- ed owing to pressure of other necessary work. Consequent on the increase in the number of wires entailed by the adoption of metallic circuiting, a new route for the lines to North Point had to be constructed from near the City Hall. This was completed and the duplicat- ing of the lines in howloon was begun.