C. S. O.
M.P. 257.)
of
account of work additional to the contract, and changes which the contractor was obliged to make in truck lines, road crossings etc.-owing to the building houses over areas on which the lines had originally been laid-a six months' extension was grant- ed, making the completion date October 27, 1931.
Later, as certain truck lines had to be entirely removed, the con- tract, which was started with a large amount of rolling stock, had to be completed by lorry, and on this ground the completion date was further extended to May 31, 1932.
as
The work was completed on the 28th November, 1932, and a fine of $1,820 ($70 per week, provided for in the contract) was imposed for the 26 weeks from the 31st May to 28th November, 1932.
THE BUS SERVICES.
Warning Issued By Mr. E. D. C. Wolfe.
PENAL CLAUSE THREAT.
Wolfe,
The Hon. Mr. E.D.C. I.G.P. said:-Generally speaking it may be said that on certain of the bus routes on both sides of the Harbour, the service is well maintained, but on others it is bad.
In Hongkong, the service on the Lower Level routes gives little cause for complaint, but on the hill routes the constant break- down of the buses makes it quite. impossible to adhere to the fixed time schedule and complaints are
numerous.
In Kowloon, the same applies.] Some services are good; others, such as No. 6 Kowloon City to Star Ferry, are starved during busy hours, owing to the excessive number of buses under repair in the Kowloon Motor Bus Co's work shops.
This points to unsatisfactory supervision and lack of work shop accommodation, staff
and super- vision, which applies to
both Licensees alike.
Representations have been made to the Licensees to improve mat- ters, so as to do away with the two main complaints; (1) Failure to maintain proper time schedules, which in turn is due
in many cases to: (2) Breakdown of buses. New Buses.
con-
The Hongkong licensee templates the purchase of new buses for the hill routes, in due course, as he is unable to main- tain his existing equipment in sufficiently satisfactory condition to avoid breakdowns.
(9)
Moreover, although the new concessionnaires for Hongkong took over forty-one and those for Kowloon seventy-three of the drivers employed by the former holders, there is no doubt that lack of experience on the part of the drivers contributes in some measure to the bad running on the hill routes and if the licensees do not in their own interests em- ploy more satisfactory staff on these routes, steps will have to be taken to compel them to do so.
The New Territories service appears to be running reasonably well. The companies have recent- ly applied for certain concessions for the more economical running of the services, but it is proposed to make any deviations from the strict terms of the contract de- pendent on improved services all round, in conformity with the terms of the contract, and to the satisfaction of the general public. Should these measures fail to bring about the required improve- ment, it will be necessary to have recourse to the penal clauses in the contracts.
COLONIAL TREASURER,
"Assessment System Is Fair And Equitable."
NO CHANGE LIKELY.
The Hon. Colonial Treasurer said:
Sir. To assess floors separately as proposed by the honourable mem- hers would treble the work of the Revenue Collection Branch of the Treasury and more than treble the work of the Assessor's Office, as the extra supervision would be increased disproportionately. The large addition of staff required would be out of all proportion to the relief that owners of house property would obtain.
In Hongkong a general reassess- ment now takes place annually and owners obtain relief, when rents are reduced, much more quickly than elsewhere. In Britain. for instance, reassessments, are quinquennial.
At the moment the rents of Chinese tenement property in Hongkong are falling, partly owing to overbuilding, and to some extent as a result of trade depression. Owners therefore have to reduce rents or risk losing their tenants. To assess each
floor separately and consequently to refund when vacancies. occur would merely encourage landlords to the occupants of partially occupied floor and crowd the re- maining ones. They would in fact employ in respect of floors the tactics which the honourable member mentions in respect of whole houses.
a
42
The owner who is prepared to meet altered conditions and reduce rents accordingly obtains due re- lief, as I have explained, at the next annual assessment where full| consideration of his case will be¦ given. The existing law permits an allowance of up to 20% on the valuation, a figure ample to cover
ormal periods of vacancy in all cases where several tenancies are included in one assessment. The practice is to grant 62% in the first instance and a further 5 to 10%
some when justified. In cases the Assessor allows the full 20% when circumstances in his It opinion justify the concession. is therefore considered that the existing system is equitable and generous and that no undue hard- ships on property involved.
owners
are
DR. A. R. WELLINGTON.
War On Malaria At Shing Mun.
PREVENTING SPREAD.
The Hon. Dr.
Wellington, D.M.S.S., said:-In reply to the Honourable Senior Unofficial Mem- ber I have the honour to state that the greater part of the ex- penditure incurred by the Medical Department on anti-malarial mea- sures at Shing Mun is debited against the Shing Mun Loan Ac- count and therefore does not appear in the Medical Department's es- timates.
The whole area surrounding the site for the Dam is broken country consisting of granite hills separated by steep sided valleys, At the date of com- mencement of operation the narrow inverts of these valleys were drained by boulder-bedded streams fed by innumerable seepages and springs. Wherever possible the hill sides had been terraced and irrigated for the wet cultivation of paddy. The country abounded with potential breeding places of anopheline mosquitoes, many of which were difficult to bring under control.
By mutual agreement it was early decided that there should be a division of labour in carrying out the scheme for malaria con- trol. The Medical Department undertook responsibility for in- vestigation and research, for anti-larval measures other than drainage, for drug prophylaxis and for treatment. The En-
gineering Staff undertook to do clearing and drainage, remove
the construction of buildings and general sanitary requirements. It was understood that the two de- partments should work in full co- operation.