Mr Chadwick to Crown Agents
Hong Kong
C.O.
124441
139
X
10 JUL OF
7 Carteret Street, S.W.
10th July 1901.
Kowloon Water Works.
The letter of the Director of Public Works places the matter on a satisfactory footing, and corrects a misapprehension on the part of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, who appears to have understood that Messrs Denison, Ram and Gibbs were to be the Contractors for the construction of the works.
As I understand the letter of Mr Ormsby, the matter stands as follows. The existing Public Works Staff is too short-handed to carry out the Kowloon Works. Under normal conditions, it would be necessary to augment the staff of the P.W.D. by sending out an Engineer to direct the design and construction of the Kowloon Works, acting for the time being as a member of the Public Works Staff, and therefore under the direction of the Director of Public Works.
Mr Ormsby therefore recommends as an alternative that Messrs Denison Ram & Gibbs, more especially the last-named gentlemen, should occupy the position of the Special Engineer aforementioned, and that for the purposes of the Kowloon Water-works, the firm of Denison Ram & Gibbs should practically discharge the duties of a member of the Public Works Staff.
It will be their duty to make surveys, prepare plans and estimates. These will be submitted to the Director of Public Works. When approved by him, the plans and estimates will be submitted to Government, precisely as though they emanated from the Office of the Director of Public Works.
The Government
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