OP Y.
Conclosure 3.
707
Chief Resident Engineer's
office,
Kowloon, 21st September, 1907.
To Sir J. V. Barry and Partners,
Consulting Engineers.
Gentlemen,
His Excellency has decided to get the Public Works Department to train some of the nullahs at the Tunnel Places as a prevention against mosquitoes.
You will see in my Estimate for the Tunnel I put down a sum of $10,000 for this purpose.
Under instructions from Sir Matthew Nathan I did this work though I considered it absolutely a waste of money. To be of any use the nullah surface should be quite smooth so that no water can collect in which mosquitoes could breed.
Some of these streams in fine weather run under ground among the boulders and to train these so as to make the water run above ground would cost an enormous amount of money. But if His Excellency thinks that this should be done I consider that I and my staff are quite capable of doing this work without the Public Works Department being called in to do it.
In order to improve the nullahs even the least little bit at least $20,000 to $25,000 would be required, and judging by the exceeding good results of the prophylactic treatment by dosing the coolies regularly with quinine, I think it would be absolute waste of money to do anything further to the streams and I cannot be responsible for keeping within the Estimate if these steps are proceeded with.
Considering the number of coolies employed and also the fact, the works not being enclosed, contamination can...
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