11.
COPY.
Enclosure.
133
Memorandum 10013
&
REC REG 11 JUN 00
During the past three years the P.W.D. Stafti
been weakened by the retirement of Mr.Bowdler and MrMalsch on
pension, the resignation of Mr.Gibbs and Mr.Hazeland and the
death of Mr.Prosser. The only new appointment made in the time
was that of Mr.T.H.Hughes who however has been almost exclu-
sively employed in the New Territory.
During the same time, the area of the Colony has been
increased from 50 to over 400 square miles. Three large per-
manent Police Stations have been erected in the New Territory
at considerable distances from Hongkong, anda fourth is under
construction over 40 miles away by sea, while three more have
been sanctioned but not started. The mileage of roads in Hong-
Kong has been considerably increased by the completion of Sec Tons of the Fraya, the opening of Barker Road and Chamberlain
Road, the completion of MacDormell Road and the extension of
roads in British Kowloon. The mileage of telephone times have
been more than trebled by the extension to Taipo, Pingshan, and
thê northern boundary of the New Territory. The decrease in
Staff, coinciding with an increase in work has pressed hardly
on every member of the Department.
Although the Votes for annually recurrent expenditure
have remained nearly stationary for some years, the number of
buildings to be maintained, the mileage of roads, of stors
drains, of dewers, and of water pipes and services have largely
increased and the duties of supervision become more onerous.
By the retirement of Mr.Hazeland, Mr.Tooker is left without
assistance in the supervision of maintenance and the Building
Ordinance work, the latter largely increasedșmoreover by
recent legislation regarding insanitary properties, Ordinance
of 1899 Clauses 9 and 10, throws very important duties on
the Public Works Department, though the expenditure which will
be