For a few days parts of the District were without light or water, and communications of every kind were seriously interrupted. It happened, too, that the Land Bailiff, Tai Po, and the Officer in Charge, Tai Po Police Station, were unavoidably absent in hospital.
The road between Kowloon and Yuen Long was cleared of obstructions by noon next day—a fine achievement on the part of the Roads Sub-Department, Public Works Department.
Energetically and enterprisingly led by the Assistant Superintendent, well supported by the Divisional Inspector and the scavenging contractor, the Police of all ranks and contingents did excellent work at Tai Po in getting the dead buried, animal corpses burned, and obstructions cleared. In this work they had the most welcome assistance of a Sanitary Inspector and squad of about ten Sanitary Department coolies, sent out by the Chairman of the Urban Council. At Sha T'au Kok the Officer in Charge of the Police Station displayed initiative in doing the same kind of work, and in arranging for a supply of rice and peanut oil from Kowloon which broke a ring at Sha T'au Kok Market who had greatly raised the price of these two commodities.
H.E. the Officer Administering the Government visited Tai Po by car, via Castle Peak, on the evening of the 4th of September.
As usual, the China Light and Power Company lost no time in repairing the power lines, and the Water-works Sub-Department, Public Works Department, were equally prompt in restoring water to Tai Po.
Just as a shortage of rice at Tai Po Market threatened, lorries started to trickle through, from Kowloon. Full road traffic was not possible until the 8th of September, and the railway was out of commission until the 13th.
The Government Dispensary and Maternity Hospital at Tai Po was uninhabitable for over a month, during which time out-patients were treated, in a temporary dispensary, while maternity cases were visited in their own homes.
Villagers rendered homeless got shelter and food from relatives or neighbours. General permission for the erection of matsheds without formality of any kind was given. The survivors from Tai Po Old Market were nearly all mere tenants of the houses there, coming originally from China, whither many of them soon returned. The remainder lived on friends made in the course of their residence locally, were sheltered by the Heung Yi Kuk in schools, or, in the last resort, begged. The boat-people fell back on the fish-dealers, and the Heung Yi Kuk, but their women and children begged for food at meal times, a sad plight for such sturdily independent people.
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For a few days parts of the District were without light or water, and communications of every kind were seriously inter- rupted. It happened, too, that the Land Bailiff, Tai Po, and the Officer in Charge, Tai Po Police Station, were unavoidably absent in hospital.
The road between Kowloon and Yuen Long was cleared of obstructions by noon next day—a fine achievement on the part of the Roads Sub-Department, Public Works Department.
Energetically and enterprisingly led by the Assistant Superintendent, well supported by the Divisional Inspector and the scavenging contractor, the Police of all ranks and conting- ents did excellent work at Tai Po in getting the dead buried, animal corpses burned, and obstructions cleared. In this work they had the most welcome assistance of a Sanitary Inspector and squad of about ten Sanitary Department coolies, sent out by the Chairman of the Urban Council. At Sha T'au Kok the Officer in Charge of the Police Station displayed initiative in doing the same kind of work, and in arranging for a supply of rice and peanut oil from Kowloon which broke a ring at Sha T'au Kok Market who had greatly raised the price of these two commodities.
H.E. the Officer Administering the Government visited Tai Po by car, via Castle Peak, on the evening of the 4th of September.
As usual, the China Light and Power Company lost no time in repairing the power lines, and the Water-works Sub-Depart- ment, Public Works Department, were equally prompt in restor- ing water to Tai Po.
Just as a shortage of rice at Tai Po Market threatened, lorries started to trickle through, from Kowloon. Full road traffic was not possible until the 8th of September, and the railway was out of commission until the 13th.
The Government Dispensary and Maternity Hospital at Tai Po was uninhabitable for over a month, during which time out-patients were treated, in a temporary dispensary, while maternity cases were visited in their own homes.
Villagers rendered homeless got shelter and food from relatives or neighbours. General permission for the erection of matsheds without formality of any kind was given. The survivors from Tai Po Old Market were nearly all mere tenants of the houses there, coming originally from China, whither many of them soon returned. The remainder lived on friends made in the course of their residence locally, were sheltered by the Heung Yi Kuk in schools, or, in the last resort, begged. The boat-people fell back on the fish-dealers, and the Heung Yi Kuk, but their women and children begged for food at meal. times, a sad plight for such sturdily independent people.
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