Hong Kong Annual Administration Reports, 1841-1941
REPORTS EXHIBITING THE PAST AND PRESENT
the Governor for authority to execute it. I may here mention that there are 26 buildings under my charge, the repairs to which, exclusive of storm repairs, amounted to 1797l. 13s. 7d. during the year; this, together with about 30l., which may be said to be the sum for repair of convict tools, makes a large annual amount, which I am confident could be reduced if I had the men I mention, whose united wages would only amount to 50l; even if it were for the convicts alone, I think it would be a saving to point a pick at the proper time, repair a shelve or wheelbarrow, the last of which are expensive and liable to much injury. As soon as they are in bad repair, I am obliged to lay them up until a sufficient number are so, to enable me to estimate for the repair, and make a requisition for the authority for payment of the money; this is a great inconvenience, and the tools are injured at the same time.
In the Land Registry Office, under the charge of the accountant, Mr. Power, the work has been of its usual description,—a little augmented by the voluminous return called for by the House of Commons, and other explanations connected with transactions in land.
A very limited number of memorials, of transfers, or mortgages, &c., have been registered during the year-only 68. Of this number 16 have been prepared in the office for Chinese, with the usual translation made by the Chinese secretary. Attached to my office and to that of the above, also for the preparation or copying of these documents, was a Chinese clerk-Keonkitch, who, in addition to this work, was employed in writing out the copies of contracts for work, also in Chinese.
At the latter end of the year, by direction of his Excellency, his services were dispensed with, together with the second clerk, Mr. Harrison, the office Coolie, and the messenger. The services of the first of the above-named officers I shall be enabled to supply by employing the overseer of Coolies-Assow, who is apparently a good scholar, and can copy out Chinese documents, under the superintendence of Mr. Gutzlaff, the Chinese secretary, sufficiently well for all the purposes of the office. He is a useful and trustworthy servant, and I have always found him attentive to his work, and show an anxiety for the good of the service. As an attendant and interpreter for myself, and clerk of works and road overseer, in visiting the roads or works, he is most useful; for which service his Excellency was pleased to sanction horse allowance for him; but this, together with the horse allowance to the road overseer, has been of course discontinued since the stoppage of the works.
The two native overseers of convicts, one at 50l. per annum, and the other 127l. 10s. for allowance, he being in the guard, were also discharged. Both were intelligent and useful men, but the services of one I am happily enabled to avail myself of, as he is appointed sergeant of the guard, and I am nearly equally well served by him in his new capacity, and a saving is effected of 624l. 10s. per annum; at the same time it obliges me to keep all the gang together, which is sometimes very inconvenient, particularly when executing repairs in the streets.
Reductions to a small amount were also made in the salaries of the road overseer and accountant, forming an aggregate saving in the cost of the department amounting to 4297l. 10s. per annum.
With the department, as at present constituted, I shall be fully equal to execute all the demands that can be made upon it, unless any works are proposed at a distance from Victoria. If such were to be necessary, the only addition would be allowance for horses; but if no further expenditure for civil works in the colony is decided upon, a reduction may still be effected in the department.
In the district comprising the town of Victoria there are several works which I think it would be highly desirable to have effected, such as the completion of the work of surface drainage by stone channels, the protection of the sides of some of the roads and streets, either with parapet walls, raised footpaths, or such other means as for each particular place would be found most applicable; widening the road round the Wongneichung Valley, and the formation of a new carriage-road from the Albany Godowns to the Wongneichung Valley. I formerly advocated the construction of this road when land was much sought after, and estimated the probable revenue that would be derivable from the sale of the adjoining ground; at the present time it is not likely much of that ground, if any, would be purchased, and, in a pecuniary sense, Government would not be directly benefited; but it would be a healthy and pleasant road for the use of inhabitants of the whole town, for in summer both the Queen's-road and the Wongneichung Valley are too confined and hot, and but little benefit is derived from exercise therein. Another carriage-road, not so expensive as this one, might be made round the Sukunpu Valley, or Causeway Bay. These two roads, with the widening a part of the Saiwan Road, and the construction of one 30-feet bridge, and three or four small 10-feet ones, would give ample range for exercise, riding, or driving, and that recreation so much desired and necessary in a tropical climate. These roads would be very easily maintained in order; they would be nearly horizontal in every part, and but few portions exposed to the run of the sea. In addition to these services, I am induced to advocate the planting of trees along the sides of the roads, and some of the streets and slopes adjoining. Small plantations of China fir might be made in several places, and with the facility of obtaining trees from the Straits by the steamers, some of the valuable large and quickly-growing ones would tend much to the beauty and healthiness of the place.
In conclusion, I trust my own exertions in the management of the department have met with approval, which it has ever been my wish to merit. I have to regret some circumstances that have occurred, and am sorry I have been unable to supply occasional information, in returns or otherwise, in that space of time in which they were directed to be performed. This has been entirely caused by the change in the holders of appointments, who were necessarily not au fait in effecting the requisite searches regarding land transactions over a series of years (though few), in which so many alterations, of very varied descriptions, had been made.