1.08. Mr. A. INGLIS, C.M.G. left Hong Kong in March to proceed on leave prior to retirement, and Mr. A. M. J. WRIGHT was appointed Director of Public Works in his place.
ORGANIZATION
1.09. The Department continued to be split into three spheres of responsibility—Buildings and Land, Engineering, and Water—each under a Deputy Director, with execution of the work being carried out by nine sub-departments.
1.10. The management consultants, Messrs. Urwick, Orr & Partners of London, continued their investigations into many aspects of the organization and control of the department, and made recommendations concerning the fundamental reorganization of some offices, as well as detailed investigations and reports on many activities of the Electrical & Mechanical Office.
STAFF
1.11. The total staff numbered more than 7,000, of whom 361 were professional officers. Details of distribution of staff and occupants of senior duty posts are given in the Appendices.
TRAINING
1.12. Training facilities for technical and assistant professional staff continued and were substantially expanded. An additional fifteen apprentices between the ages of fifteen and seventeen signed agreements whereby they will follow a course of instruction over a three-year period, part-time in the waterworks or mechanical workshops and part-time at the Technical College. This brought the number of craft apprentices up to eighty-four.
1.13. A further 5 engineering graduates from the University of Hong Kong were indentured to the Director of Public Works, making a total of 14 officers. They will gain the experience necessary for the professional interview of the Institution of Civil Engineers. Two architectural graduates of the University, who were appointed as Apprentice Architects, continued to gain practical experience which will lead to their eventual registration as Authorized Architects under the Buildings Ordinance, 1955.
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