P.W.E. Hongkong.
Q 66
The Contract Documents were signed on the 20th October and notice was given on the 1st November to commence the works, the Contract time for completion being 6 years. From then to the close of the year operations were confined to the erection of offices for the Assistant Engineers and Overseers, workshops and coolie quarters, construction of the transport track along Bowring-ton Canal and the construction of Guide-pile Stagings on the line of the Sea Wall.
The Contractors placed orders for four Locomotives, one mile of track (35 lbs. rails), two miles of track (30 lbs. rails), one mile of track (12 lbs. rails), fifty Decauville Wagons and wheels, axles, and axle boxes for one hundred 34 cubic yard side-tipping wagons.
A Contract was awarded to the Anglo-Chinese Engineering Association, Limited, who are associated with Messrs. W.S. Bailey & Co., Ltd., for the construction of a grab dredger required for dredging trenches for the sea wall and stormwater drain foundations. Their tender amounted to $76,000.00; the Contract Documents were signed on the 24th October and notice was given on the 1st November to commence the work, the Contract time for completion being six months.
The Revised Estimate of cost of the Praya East Reclamation Scheme (apart from premia) to be borne by those persons entitled to participate, including the Government, is $3,744,319.00; the original estimate of cost which appeared in paragraph 171 of last year's Report was $3,385,000.00.
The Revised Estimate of Cost to be borne by Government, including its revised estimated contribution of $685,843.00 to the General Fund, Road Improvements at Arsenal Street and East Point, Development of Morrison Hill Area, resumptions of properties involved, and the construction of large twin-storm-water culverts from the Grand Stand enclosure at Happy Valley to the existing sea front, is $2,185,111.00.
The Revised Total Estimate of Cost of the Scheme is therefore $5,243,587.00.
The total expenditure charged to the Praya East Reclamation Account to the close of the year, including a sum of $105,541.84 charged to “Advance Account”, amounted to $113,433.51.
At the end of 1908, a sum of $57,315.39 was written off the Advance Account and debited to P.W.E., Praya East Reclamation, as there was no prospect of carrying out the work.
The Advance Account, however, was subsequently reopened, and, in order to keep the previous transaction in evidence, the Colonial Treasurer suggested debiting the Advance Account with $57,315.39 crediting a new sub-head, namely, Praya East Reclamation Contribution under Deposit Not Available, and this was done in 1917.
At the end of 1921, on the close of the Advance Account, Praya East Reclamation, the Deposit Not Available, Praya East