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8. Three Town Planning Architects were also included as no officers of this category were on the existing establishment and post war problems of Planning necessitated the creation of a Town Planning Office. The remaining post provided for a mechanical engineer to take charge of all departmental plant and equipment, mechanical workshops and the newly-formed Transport Office, under the general direction of the Chief Electrical Engineer.
9. An attempt was made to recruit locally architects, structural engineers and inspectors of works. Few applicants had the necessary qualifications and experience to fill such appointments, and only one architect was appointed.
10. One Chinese Temporary Assistant Engineer was absent for the whole year attending Federated British Industries apprenticeship course in the United Kingdom.
11. The efficiency of the Department was seriously handicapped by the almost complete loss of pre-war records and equipment, by the absence of such a large proportion of the European staff on recuperative leave, and the slow rate of recruitment of new staff. Nevertheless the progress of rehabilitation may be considered as satisfactory, having regard to such circumstances and after making allowances for the difficult supply situation.
12. The expenditure incurred by the Department is shown in tables at the end of this Report.
Hong Kong, 20th April, 1948.
V. KENNIFF,
Director of Public Works.
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ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE.
13. The principal work of the Architectural Office was the rehabilitation of buildings. Comparatively few Government buildings escaped damage as a result of the war, or of looting. Other buildings which were requisitioned or leased in order to provide office and living accommodation also required rehabilitation to a varying extent.
14. A board was appointed on 16th July to survey damaged Government buildings and make recommendations for their repair, or demolition, and for the future development of vacant sites. This board reported early in August.
15. So many demands were received for urgent rehabilitation repairs that in July returns were obtained from Government departments of their most urgent requirements, and a priority list was prepared of those works which the available staff could undertake. This list comprised 163 buildings but 274 buildings were actually rehabilitated during the year.
16. By the end of July a very limited but sufficient staff became available to enable the planning of new construction to commence. The board had recommended that new construction in the first instance should be confined to the provision of Government quarters.
17. The work of the office throughout the year was restricted by shortage of staff, both architects and inspectors of works, and by shortage of supplies. At the beginning of the year skilled labour was also scarce, but this and the supply of materials steadily improved during the year.
18. Public Works Recurrent. Since comparatively few Government, requisitioned, or leased buildings were undamaged, or in a reasonable state of preservation, the expenditure on normal recurrent maintenance was small, and no attempt was therefore necessary to reinstitute a recurrent maintenance programme.
19. Maintenance of Government Buildings:- Maintenance work, chiefly of a minor nature, was carried out in the following buildings:-
Government House;
Park Road Police Quarters;
No. 7 Aberdeen, Mong Kok, and Tai Po Police Stations; Queen Mary and Kowloon Hospitals;
New Territories Dispensaries;
Ellis Kadoorie and Wanchai Schools;