1841-1886
REPORTS EXHIBITING THE PAST AND PRESENT
Bridges.
Sundry services were effected to bridges on the road round the island, amounting to 61l. 78s. 6d, and the bridge at Soo-kun-poo, injured during a heavy flood, was repaired for the sum of 10l.
A sewer 100 feet in length for the use of some new houses in Aberdeen Street, was executed for the sum of 20l 16s. 8d.
The expenditure for the repair and supply of convict tools during the year amounted to 15l. 3s 3d., a small sum in comparison with former years. This is to be attributed to the employment of convicts for these services; some Chinese carpenters and a European blacksmith having been condemned to hard labour, were occupied in the above work. The total expenditure during the year, as executed under my supervision, has amounted to the sum of 5,870l. 7s. 0d.
Convict Labour.
The labour of the convicts has comprised the ordinary general services we can derive from it, viz., in breaking stones for the roads, picking oakum, mat making, &c., within the gaol walls, and labour on public works outside the walls. Within the walls some effective work has been performed by the carpenters in the repair of tools, as well as in the ordinary repairs of the gaol; timber and other materials being supplied from condemned buildings. I was thus enabled to turn their labour to account, particularly in the formation of a new set of beds or stretchers for the chain gang, the renewal of several windows, reflooring one room, a passage and covered way—and a variety of other useful repairs, which must otherwise have been paid for. By the regulations lately made for the gaol, the gaoler is required to keep an exact account of these and other miscellaneous works performed by the convicts, so that a more direct comparison may be made of the value of the work as a set off against the expenditure for their maintenance.
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The stone broken for the roads amounts to 400 tons, which I estimate at per ton, 3s. 6d., equals 70l. The greater quantity of this I propose to use in metalling the new road to Government House, which being formed entirely in filling will require to have its surface rendered as hard and as unyielding as possible to preserve it from the action of the heavy rains. The value of work performed by the carpenters and blacksmiths, the latter for a short period only, exclusive of materials, I estimate at 35l.
Without the gaol walls an average number of ten men are employed daily as water carriers, scavengers, &c., and in a variety of other purposes for the general duties of the gaol. Upon public works they have been employed as follows; viz., in scavenging under police direction in various parts of the city, 208 men, valued at 4l. 6s. 8d. ; in the improvement of streets and roads, 6,914 men, valued at 144l. 0s. 10d.; in repairs to roads and streets, 4,142 men, valued at 86l. 5s. 10d.; in cleansing drains, &c., 237 men, valued at 4l. 18s. 9d.; in the formation of the road to new Government House, 5,609 men, valued at 116l. 17s. 1d; and in miscellaneous services, such as planting trees, weeding, cutting grass, &c., 1,495 men, valued at 31l. 2s. 11d, thus forming a total of 18,605 men employed on public works (being 1,094 men less than last year), expressing the value of work performed at 387l. 12s. 1d.
The three coolies attached to the department have been usefully employed during the year at work of the ordinary miscellaneous character—viz., 154 days in the supervision of labour, 391 days repairing roads, streets, and bridges, 182 days in transplanting or in the care of trees, 126 days clearing drains, 17 days at the Government House site, 45 days at the delivery of stones from Albany Godowns, 17 days miscellaneous; total 932 days.
The total expenditure by the department on account of
public works during the year amounted to 5,870 7 0 Value of convict labour outside the gaol to ditto 387 12 1 ditto inside 108 0 0 Ditto Services performed by department coolies, at 3l. 2s. 6d. 37 10 0 per month Actual value of all services during the year 6,403 9 1CHARLES ST. GEORGE CLEVERLY,
I have, &c. (Signed)
Hon. Lieut-Colonel W. Caine,
&c.
&c.
&c.
Surveyor General.
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