22. Of the 280 Chinese tenement houses for which occupation permits were granted, it is of interest to note that thirty-two were erected on the Praya East Reclamation making a total to date on this area 1,005 houses. Forty houses of this type were erected in other localities in Hong Kong and 208 were erected in Kowloon and New Kowloon.
23. Occupation permits for eighty-five dwellings of European type were granted, of which twenty-eight were erected on the Island and fifty-seven in Kowloon District.
24. Mount Cameron, Middle Gap and new Tai Hang Roads are new residential districts proving very popular.
25. Buildings of non-domestic or commercial character completed show an increase over the returns of the preceding year, but these, apart from the buildings noted in paragraph 21 were of a minor character.
26. The number of Water Flushed Sanitary appliances approved amounted to 1403.
27. Twenty-four fires were reported. The most disastrous was that caused by the ignition of escaping gas from a large Gas Holder in the Hong Kong Gas Co.'s premises at West Point on the 14th May. The following houses were involved :-Nos. 13-17 Chung Shing Street; Nos. 1-12 Clarence Terrace and No. 1A Yu On Terrace. Of these houses, Nos. 2, 4 and 8 Clarence Terrace were completely gutted, while the remainder were all more or less seriously affected. A great number of lives were lost and many persons were injured.
28. Eleven fires occurred in Chinese tenement houses of non fire-resisting floors and staircases; in nearly every case the houses were gutted-casualties amounted to four.
29. Six fires occurred in Chinese tenement houses of fire-resisting construction and in almost every case the fire was confined to the single storey in which it originated.
30. The value of R.C.C. construction in preventing the spread of fire has been amply demonstrated and the security afforded to occupants by concrete stairs with alternative exits, marks a definite step forward in this class of property.
31. Reclamation of I.L. 2918 was completed and work on I.Ls. 3538, 3539 and 3540 remain in progress. An area of approximately 207,000 square feet is embraced in the above. Reclamation work on Kowloon Marine Lot 102 continues, the total area involved being about 200,000 square feet.
32. Minor landslides occurred as a result of heavy rains. They were not of a serious nature nor were there any casualties.
33. The Chinese Cemeteries in Hong Kong and Kowloon were maintained in good order and, where required, provision was made for additional burial areas.