330
602735
26
25
23
Copy CA. (9)
My Lord,
GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
HONGKONG, 12th July, 1929.
RECEIVED
14 AUG 1929
ICOL.
In continuation of my despatch No.309 of the
21st June, I regret to have to report that the gravity of the
water situation in this Colony shows no abatement. The days of what is normally our wet season are slipping by with only
a fraction of the usual rain-fall, the total fall for the
year recorded at the Observatory being up to the 11th of July only 15.76 inches as against an average of 43.12 inches. Some rain has fallen during the last few days, but the bulk
of it, over 8 inches, fell in the New Territories beyond all
catchment areas, only fractions of an inch being recorded
over the island.
2.
The plan of campaign against this emergency on the island is to supply all levels, which can possibly be
reached by such methods, through a system of large tanks fed
from non-reservoir sources, i.e. by water brought in the
tanks of vessels arriving in this port from Shanghai and
other places, and by specially organized services from
independent supplies on the mainland and in the West River.
The higher levels will continue to be served from the Tytam
reservoirs, the natural supplies of which will be assisted
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
LORD PASSFIELD,
by
&c.
&C.,
&c.