2.84. Permanent connexions to salt-water mains were made for 43 buildings.
GRANT-IN-AID AND SUBSIDIZED SCHOOLS
2.85. Advice on drawings and contract documents and inspections of sites were made for a total of 70 new projects costing $12 million and 83 maintenance programmes which were completed, and a further 71 new projects costing $20 million which were started.
PRIVATE ARCHITECTS AND QUANTITY SURVEYORS
2.86. Private architects and quantity surveyors were engaged on a number of projects mentioned in this report. These are listed in Appendix F.
BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE
Assistant Director:
R. FAIRBAIRN, F.R.I.C.S., M.R.S.H.
3.01. The amount of private expenditure on completed building works undertaken in the Colony showed the tremendous increase of 81% over the preceding year and amounted to approximately 668 million dollars.
3.02. This year followed the usual pattern in that most of the new buildings were designed for domestic occupation, 88% of all the new buildings being for residential purposes. The number of new factories and workshops continued to lead in non-domestic buildings, while development of commercial buildings, schools and cinemas followed the steady high level of previous years.
3.03. The large sale of Crown land, particularly in the Kwun Tong and San Po Kong areas, during the last 2 years was largely responsible for the steep rising trend in private capital expenditure. Minor, but nevertheless significant, factors such as the increase in cost of skilled labour, resulting in rising building costs, together with a steady increase in redevelopment of old lots also contributed to increased expenditure in the building industry.
3.04. Although it is difficult to predict future trends there are grounds for supposing that this rate of expenditure will be maintained in view of the substantial Crown land sales during the year, on which
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