14.
83 172
29. The two sub departments of Crown Lands and Surveys can
conveniently bo takon together.
at one time formed a single unit.
They are closely alliod, and
Thoy should again bo
amalgamated under the hoadship of a properly qualifiod
survoyor. The logical place for such a department is not
in the Public Works Department but rather with the Land Offico.
The Land Officor as honovor reluctant to take the sub
department whilst all zitnossos from the Public Works
Department were equally reluctant to see it leave them.
The Commissionors make no rocommondation on this point.
30. The most noteworthy foaturo about the personnel of
thoso two sub departments, and of the Surveys Office in
particular, is the growth in the number of Chinosc surveyors,”
aho are reported as boing highly satisfactory. Their nuribor
This
has rison from 8 in 1926 to 35 in the prosont year. There
has boon no corresponding roduction, in fact no roluction at
all, in the number of European surveyors, Tho xosult is
that the offico is greatly overstaffed, A roduction of 6
out of 9 Europoan surveyors should be made forthwith.
will leave the combined sub departments with a total senior European staff of scvon officers; not an ungenerous allowance, and quite sufficient to supervise the Chinese survoy staff; sono of hon aro still comparatively inoxperioncol. In a fow
years it should be possiblo further to roduce the European
staff in this office.
31.
The Valuations and Rosuptions Officer, half of whoso
work is for the Estato Duty Comissioner, should as soon as the rosumption work in New Kowloon has been completed, a matter of five years or so bo absorbed into the Assessor's
office. For the prcsont it is essential that he should be
in close anl constant touch with the Public Works Dopartment,