Q 17
71. Maintenance of Telephones:-All lines and instruments, including those of the Kowloon-Canton Railway, were maintained in good order.
Alterations and improvements were effected on various existing lines, and telephone circuits were re-arranged in various government buildings.
Expenditure $3,453.77
72. Maintenance of Sewers, Nullahs, etc.-Sewers, storm water drains and trained nullahs were cleansed, repaired and maintained in good condition. Open channels and nullahs were cleansed by the Sanitary Department. Automatic flushing tanks were kept working continuously, and sand deposits, as they accumulated, were removed. Many defective traps, gullies, gratings, etc., were replaced.
Expenditure $8,306.53
73. Street Lighting:-The total number of gas lamps in use at the end of the year, all of which are incandescent, was 581. 701 electric street lamps were in use, an increase of 19 over the previous year. A scheme to improve the lighting of Nathan Road by the installation of 78 gaseous discharge lamps was put in hand towards the end of the year.
All traffic control lights were maintained in good order.
Expenditure $78,251.64
the severe
74. Typhoon and Rainstorm Damages. Works undertaken after the typhoon of September 1937 were completed: silt and debris were cleared and removed to dump from nullahs, catchpits and channels throughout Kowloon; repairs were carried out to 18" diameter storm-water drain in Kau Pui Shek Road at its temporary outfall at Ping Street; repairs were completed to the ferry pier at Hung Hom, and the pier was reopened to traffic in August; repairs were effected to the south breakwater of the Mong Kok Tsui harbour of refuge. A dangerous rock on the hillside at the rear of No. 504, Nathan Road was partially cut away and secured. A number of street lamps damaged by storm were repaired.
Expenditure $26,803.48
75. Maintenance of Water Works:--The year opened with a constant supply which was maintained until 14th August. From 15th August until the end of the year similar restrictions to those in force on the island were imposed. A constant supply was, therefore, maintained for 226 days, compared with 365 in 1937.
The quantity of water stored in the impounding reservoirs on 1st January was 2,842.71 million gallons. A minimum of 1,175.76 million gallons was reached on 2nd August, when there were 858.53 million gallons in Jubilee Reservoir.
The reservoirs were at or above their permanent overflow levels for the following periods :-
Kowloon Reservoirs. Capacity to permanent overflow level (million gallons). Overflow periods. Kowloon Byewash 352.50 *115 days from 1st January to 25th April. Shek Li Pui 185.50 139 days. Shing Mun Reception Nil. Jubilee 116.10 2,921.00 Total Nil. 3,608.25 33.15 * Overflow collected in Byewash Reservoir.