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3. Cost of Office.-As the Survey Office forms part of the Public Works Department and is accommodated in the same building, the charges for numerous items such as lighting, heating, electric fans, etc., cannot be stated. Omitting these, the following is a statement of the cost of the office :-
Salaries, $47,803.75 Conveyance Allowances, 3,778.69 Wages for Coolies, 4,167.79 Drawing Materials and Mounting Plans, 90.80 Land Survey Contingencies, 2,183.71 Triangulation Survey of Colony, 1,621.46 Transport and Travelling Expenses, 397.14 Incidental Expenses, 289.40 Total $60,332.744. Trigonometrical Work.-With the exception of the Tung Hoi or Eastern Districts of the New Territories and a portion of Lantao and Lamma Islands, the triangulation of the Colony has now been completed and 40 main and 55 minor Trigonometrical stations have been permanently marked on the ground by beacons or cairns of stones.
The area covered is equal to 300 square miles and the work was extended by a series of interlacing polygons accurately closed in the office with an angular error of about 6", with one exception, the Lantao Island-Cheung Chau Island section. The error in this series was slightly more owing to the fact that observations had to be taken during the foggy and hot season to allow the survey of Cheung Chau Island to be undertaken. The triangulation has now been closed on the original base and checked with the Military Harbour Survey base with satisfactory results. The majority of the minor Trigonometrical stations were fixed in the more populous and cultivated districts such as Taipo, Sheung Shui, and Pat Heng Valleys to enable the survey of the principal villages to be undertaken.
All polygons have been accurately closed, and all stations valued and recorded in the office.
5. Topographical and Cadastral Work.-About 135 miles of traverse including a 20 miles traverse from Castle Peak to Fanling have been run during the year and traverse stations permanently marked on the ground. The limit of error allowed for this work is 1 in 3,000.
A portion of the Western District of the City containing about 15 acres was surveyed in detail and plotted on the Ordnance plans. Some progress was made with the survey of Kowloon; the survey of Ma Tau Wei and district was practically completed and partially plotted. Kowloon Farm Lots 3 & 4 and surrounding lots containing an area about 806,900 sq. ft. were surveyed and plotted