HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
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Since then, we must assume, in the absence of any news to the contrary, that the report of Mr. Binnie was favourable to the construction of the new dam as an engineering feat; and yet here we are, still waiting for the assent of the Secretary of State to our proposals for the financing of work which was declared by the unanimous vote of this Council, Official as well as Unofficial, on the 18th July, 1929, to be work requiring to be "pressed on with the utmost despatch."
It is difficult to be patient in the face of such delay on the part of the Home Authorities in sanctioning the necessary expenditure on such an urgent and pressing need as a pure water- supply, especially bearing in mind the fact that, if we commenced work upon the second section of the Shing-Mun scheme to-morrow, it would probably take from two to three years before we should obtain even a partial increase of our water-supply by the partial construction of the big dam.
From the middle of 1928 down to the middle of 1929, as was pointed out by the late Governor (see Hansard 1929 at page 134) the rainfall was only about 38 inches. From the 1st October last until the middle of May this year the rainfall was only about 151⁄2 inches. I quote these figures merely for the purpose of emphasising the point that we are always liable to a recurrent water shortage in this Colony if we have a dry autumn followed by a dry winter and spring, and that our only salvation lies in the promptest pushing on with the big Shing-Mun dam.
In conclusion, I do most strongly, on behalf of the Unofficial Members, urge your Excellency to convey to the Right Honourable The Secretary of State for the Colonies our protest against the delays which have taken place in the sanctioning of the commence- ment of this most vital and necessary scheme for the welfare of this Colony.
This dam must, in our opinion, take precedence over every other public work.
HON. MR. R.H. KOTEWALL.-I beg to second the motion. The ground is so well covered by the Honourable Senior Unofficial member that very little remains for me to say.
There can be no question that the most pressing problem now confronting the Colony is our water supply. Representing as I do the preponderant element in the population, I urge with all emphasis that not another day's avoidable delay in commencing the second section of the Shing-Mun scheme should be permitted, in view of the great hardship entailed on the poorer classes whenever a restriction on the water supply is imposed.
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