22.
*
23.
202
and other explanation I can give and which my experience may suggest, My Wilson will be enabled to carry out the services in detail in a manner to create manifest advantages for the Colony and eventually credit to himself.
I need hardly however remark that a Resident Engineer will be absolutely necessary so soon as these arrangements are to be taken in hand, the service will require constant attention to minute details, and an office must be entirely devoted to it.
I presume an Engineer officer might be temporarily employed on this duty under orders from this Department.
A staff consisting of one Sapper as Clerk and Chinese Overseer, and two Coolies for general work in connection with it would be sufficient for present wants.
It would be advisable to have a sapper well able to read and write so as to keep efficient records in Kowloon of the various papers which the officer would have to transmit to this Department from time to time.
Provision is made in the Colonial Estimates for two Sappers, one Overseer and one Chinese Messenger, the extra charges such as necessarily be brought forward in a supplementary form.
The works contemplated for this year not having been commenced and some of them impossible even to begin yet, it is not likely that the expenditure on Kowloon as given in gross in the Estimates, will be exceeded, so that