COPY.
Your Excellency,
354
363
Since I assumed my present post I have
>
been in daily personal communication on official matters with
the Director of Public Works, for at a rough guess I should say
that about a half of the papers that come before me have to
be referred to the Director of Public Works at some stage be-
fore they are finally dealt with.
The Director of Public Works is in his
office by 9 A.M. He lunches in it and he rarely leaves it
before 7 P.M.
He is therefore much overworked. The New
Health and Buildings Ordinance will throw an immense amount of
extra work upon him.
The Ordinance leaves many important
matters to the discretion of the Director of Public Works and
many others to the discretion of the Governor in Council. These
latter will all require special reports for the consideration
of the Council.
Then if any real improvement is to be
made in the Sanitary Condition of the City schemes of improve-
ment involving resumptions of Insanitary areas must be under-
taken. The Director of Public Works has at present not a
moment to spare for the consideration of such.
Finally the laying out of new areas for
building and other enterprises require much time and thought in
a rapidly developing Colony like Hongkong.
For these Mr. Chatham has little or no
time.
I have spoken to Mr. Chatham on these
matters as it has become evident to me that he cannot cope
with the additional work that the new legislation will throw
upon