45
Government vehicles to justify two sets of expensive repair tools and machinery. The Wanchai shop should deal with minor repairs only, anything of a major kind being sent over to Hunghom. This will mean transporting badly damaged vehicles across the harbour, but the cost of this will be negligible compared with the present duplication. Reductions will have to be made in the staff of the Wanchai shop. The post of Mechanical Engineer, for which in any case there appears to be little justification, should be abolished. The shop should be in charge of one European overseer; at present there are two.
24. The Electrical sub-department is divided into two sections, one dealing with lighting, telephones, etc., and the other with wireless and broadcasting. The latter is under the Post Master General, though directly administered by the Electrical Engineer, who thus owes a double allegiance to the Director of Public Works and the Post Master General. This dual control of one sub-department is not logical and is bound to be detri- mental to efficiency. It is therefore recommended that the whole of the Electrical Office should be taken out of the Public Works Department and placed under the Post Office, of which it would form a sub-department. The Commissioners are unable to make recommendations regarding the staff of this sub-department as they understand that negotiations are proceeding between the Government and the Imperial Wireless and Cables Company with a view to the transference to the Company of the greater part of the Colony's wireless service. Only when it is known exactly what wireless work will still have to be done by the Government will it be possible to make staff arrangements.
25. They would however suggest for the consideration of Government the question of the disposal of the Government's telephone service to the Telephone Co. if satisfactory terms can be arranged. It might also be found cheaper to let out to contract the mainten- ance of Government lifts. At present this work is carried out by the Electrical depart-
ment.
26. Of the engineering departments proper there remains the Port Development. The Commissioners have already reported to Government their views on the future ad- ministration of the harbour, and also on the necessity for proceeding with a survey of the harbour without delay." *
If it is not found practicable to employ on this survey the two qualified officers who are already in the Government service, it will be necessary to engage qualified men from outside the service. Their engagement should be strictly of a temporary nature.
27. The Vehicular Ferry Piere scheme is another 'extraordinary' work. This is being executed by the permanent staff of the Port Development sub-department. For the future it is recommended that works of this nature should either be carried out by specially engaged temporary staff, or the whole work, if of sufficient magnitude, entrust- ed to a firm of British contractors of world wide repute.
28. Apart from the Vehicular Ferry Piers the department has in hand only one constructional work; and this will be finished by the end of the year. All that will remain will be maintenance work. For this a staff of one engineer and two overseers is con- sidered sufficient. The remaining posts of executive engineer, two engineers, and three overseers should be abolished. The engineer in charge of the reduced Port Development. sub-department should be at the disposal of the newly constituted Harbour Board.
29. The two sub-departments of Crown Lands and Surveys can conveniently be taken together. They are closely allied, and at one time formed a single unit. They should again be amalgamated under the headship of a properly qualified surveyor.
The logical place for such a department is not in the Public Works Department but rather with the Land Office. The Land Officer was however reluctant to take the sub-department whilst all witnesses from the Public Works Department were equally reluctant to see it leave them. The Commissioners make no recommendation on this point.
30. The most noteworthy feature about the personnel of these two sub-departments, and of the Surveys Office in particular, is the growth in the number of Chinese surveyors, who are reported as being highly satisfactory. 35 in the present year. There has been no at all, in the number of European surveyors. staffed. A reduction of 6 out of 9 European
Their number has risen from 8 in 1926 to correspending reduction, in fact no reduction The result is that the office is greatly over- surveyors should be made forthwith. This
*Not reproduced.