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Water Supply.
24. Work on the provision of a water supply for Tsuen Wan was completed and street fountains were opened to the public in September 1933. A scheme for levying water rates in the village is now under consideration.
Reclamation.
25. Of the two reclamations by private enterprise mentioned in the last annual report, one has been finally abandoned and the other, at Tai O, is progressing slowly. There is reason to hope that it will be completed during 1934.
Hygiene.
26. The Government travelling Dispensary attends to the needs of the mainland villages and a Medical Officer pays regular visits to the Islands. Reports indicate that these services are more and more appreciated by the villagers.
27. The St. John Ambulance Brigade have completed plans for the building of a modern hospital at Cheung Chau which is in the course of erection. The Sham Tseng Dispensary, the gift of a private individual, has been completed and will shortly be in working order.
Tai 0.
28. It has been a very quiet year at Tai O. The fishing season, on the success of which the village depends, was again a failure. In a normal year the Wong Fa catch is reckoned to yield 10,000 piculs. In 1933 it barely reached 4,000 piculs, and in addition there was a decline in price from $18 per picul to $12.
29. The following table shows approximately the results of the fishing season.
Ma Yau
Herrings
Wong Fa
Shrimps
Price per picul.
360 piculs. $18.00
400
14.00
4,000 1,000
12.00
13
6.00
These are very poor figures, though hardly worse than last year, with the exception of the Herring catch which has dropped fron 3,500 piculs in 1932,
30. Rice and vegetable crops were good and poultry farmers also enjoyed satisfactory results. The tiny village of Yee O alone exported 6,000 ducks to Hong Kong during the year
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31. The Salt Pans did average business and their output, at 14,000 piculs, was over 1,000 piculs above the 1932 figure. The major portion of Tai O salt is exported to Chinese territory and to Hong Kong.
32. A scheme to provide Tai O with a properly run fire engine is practically completed and it is expected that the village will be well provided for in this respect early in 1934. was no serious damage from either fire or typhoon during the
year.
Lamma.
There
33. The cattle and pig trades had a fairly good year but fishing was poor and the shrimp paste trade showed a slight falling off.
34. Grass cutting again provided good returns and large quantities were sold to Aberdeen for boat-breaming.
Cheung Chau.
35. Here, as elsewhere, the fishing season was a complete failure, with poor catches and falling prices. But vegetable gardens were very successful. The crops were good and prices held up satisfactorily. All the Market stalls were occupied throughout the year at the same rents as previously
36. Lime Kilns have had a slack time but the Kwong Lung Shing Distillery reports very good business indeed. The out-put of the Li Shing Kee quarry fell from $2,900 in 1932 to $800 in 1933.
37. Projects to provide Cheung Chau with a proper water supply unfortunately proved too costly to be practicable and the island continues to depend on wells and water brought from Lan Tau.
38. The island was very quiet during the year, escaping damage from either fire or typhoon. The fire-engine was regularly employed to wash down the streets.
Tsuen Wan.
39. Crops were satisfactory but producers were badly hit by declining prices, vegetables and sweet potatoes alone recording a slight rise. Fair business was done in pigs, soy, and firewood, but the fishing junks had another lean year.
40. In other directions, however, Tsuen Wan did extremely well. Favourably situated as it is by the sea, on the main road and near Hong Kong, Tsuen Wan seems marked out for commercial development on a large scale.
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