CO129-294 - Governor Sir Blake - 1899 [10-12] — Page 452

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In respect of public buildings the Coolie Shelter at the Peak comes first in importance although least in amount. After that the Post Office and after that, but a long way after, new Law Courts---the present Courts although inconvenient being adequate for the transaction of business.

Next in the order of importance com: the new rouds. Those in the New Territory first. They are required for the preservation of peres. order, and good government there as well as for the purpose of opening up the Territory for profit- able use.

The present Estimates should be amended and re-cast. The Treasurer's Pi- nancial Returns and two Statements of Assets and Liabilities on 31st Deceniber, 1893, cannot both be correct. The estimates for Public Works Extraordinary need re-consideration from beginning to end; the works eaum rated in them might well be arranged in the order of their importance and urgency instead of in their present apparently purposeless succession.

Then the available money should be appropriate 1 to the several works in the order in which they stand on the Estimates, and if there is not enough to go round, the last on the list should be left over till some other year.

It is useless to plead the insufficiency of the staff of the Public Works Depart- ment as a reason for not proceeding with any urgent work or works. Extra-ordi- nary works should be provided for by the provision of additional strength for the Department or by special staffs. At present with much pressing work on hand the staff is being apparently reduced. It is certainly much less strong than it was ten years ago when the population was much less and the area of the Colony twenty- nine square miles instead of four hundred and twenty-nine.

HONGKONG, 23rd November, 1899.

IA Whitehead

Dear Sir,

C. J.

449

195

Rich Hongkong, 17

October, 1899.

New Post Office.

In connection with the Estimates for next year, the fol- lowing appeared in His Excellency the Governor's printed state- ment, read at the meeting of the Legislative Council on Wednes-

day, 11th inst:-

"The most pressing public work at the present moment is the "building for the New Law Courts, which blocks the way for "the improvement of the Post Office, a building entirely "insufficient and unsuited for the postal requirements of "the Colony. The plans for the Law Courts were returned on "January 21st to London with some suggestions for improve- "ments. I have written urging that they shall be sent out

"with the least possible delay."

2.-

In the Colonial Estimates for 1900 the Council is not asked for any vote in respect of new premises for a Post Office.

It is painfully evident from the Governor's statement that the building of the New Post office will not be commenced until the

In construction of the New Law Courts' building is completed. consequence of the unnecessary delays, vacillating and irresolute policy hitherto followed regarding the construction of the new Government Offices, it is highly probable that the new Court House building may not be completed within four years from this date, if even then. It therefore naturally follows that the new Post Office building will not be commenced until after the Legal De- partments move into their new building, say about four years

The construction of the new Post Office build- hence, or in 1903. ing will take about two if not three years; consequently the Colony will not have a new Post Office for say six or

seven years

or until 1905 or 1906. The present Post Office building is and has been for some time past wholly inadequate for the Colony's requirements, badly lighted, ill-ventilated, and so cramped that

there

R. Chatterton Wilcox Esq.,

Secretary,

Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce.