CO129-489 - Governor Sir Stubbs & Sir Clementi - 1925 [8-12] — Page 410

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the last paragraph of his despatch he says as follows:

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Hongkong has indeed changed its aspect; and when it is remembered that all this has been affected in Her Majes- ty's reign and indeed during a space of less that fifty years on ground in im- mediate contact with the most populous Empire in the world, by a comparatively infinitesimal number of an entirely alien race separated from their Homes by nearly the whole earth, and, unlike their countrymen in Australia and Canada, living in an enervating and trying climate; and when it is further remem- bered that the Chinese, whose labour and enterprise under British auspices have this development, largely assisted in have been under no compulsion, but have come here as free men, attracted by liberal institutions, equitable treat- ment, and the justice of our rule; and when all this is taken into account, it may be doubted whether the evidence of material and moral achievement, pre- sented as it were in a focus, make any- where a more forcible appeal to eye and imagination, and whether any other spot on the earth is thus more likely to ex- cite, or more fully justifies pride in the name of Englishman."

THE TASK FOR THE SCHOOLS.

The point that I wish to make now is that the Hongkong Government ought to make it its business to teach in its schools and in the University, the won- derful growth and prosperity of this Colony, owing to its liberal institutions, its equitable treatment of, and justice to, all races, and, starting onward from Governor Des Voeux's despatch to the present day, to show how that same fair. treatment of the Chinese has resulted in the immensely greater proofs of prospe rity which are now before us to-day and which are the result of the cordial co- operation which has for so long existed and still exists between the British and Chinese in this Colony.-(Applause.)

DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS. The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS: Sir, In reply to the speech of the Hon. the Senior Unofficial Member, it is much to be regretted that the work of strengthen- ing main roads has had to be postponed and in some cases the maintenance votes It will be have had to be reduced. readily understood that such postpone- ment and reductions in regard to the upkeep of Main Roads cannot be per- Initted for any length of time without the ultimate serious deterioration and heavy expenditure that will be required to bring them back to the present stan- dard.

Provision has been made for the con- tinuance of work on all items of the Shing Mun Valley Scheme (part 1) estimated to cost $3,500,000 and everything will be done to expedite this scheme, until the completion of which it will not be pos- sible to do without the restriction of the water supply both at Hongkong and Kow- loon during periods in which there is an unequally distributed rain-fall.

FILTER BEDS.

The Contract for the Bowen Road Fast Gravity Filtration Plant has been let to The Messrs. Patterson Engineering Co. contract price including shipment and erection is £8,700. Reinforced concrete work and foundations will be extra. Drawings have not yet been received so that the cost for this work is not known. The contract is to be completed in 9 months. The capacity of the plant is three million gallons per day as compared with the output of the existing Bowen Road filter beds of million.

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