CO129-513-6 Hong Kong water supply- schemes for development and improvement 25-1-1929 - 2-8-1929 — Page 98

Extract from the Hong Kong Daily Fress

of 25th January, 1929.

A Serious Position. The following resolution was then moved by Sir Henry Pollock :-

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That in view of the precarious condition of the water supply, which threatens to become even more serious in the year 1930, it is the unanimous opinion of this Council that it is imperative the following works be constructed and completed at the earliest pos- sible date apart from any other schemes in contemplation :- (1) The joining up of the Shing Mun Water System with the Water System of the Island of Hong Kong by means of a pipe line laid on the surface of the bed of the Harbour cap- able of being completed in the course of this year.

(2) The construction of the bye- wash reservoir below the pre- sent Kowloon Reservoir.

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The second part of this Motion related to the construction of the bye-wash reservoir below the pre- sent Kowloon Reservoir, which, it was understood, would have a storage capacity of some 200 million gallons and could in all probability be completed by the end of next year.

The carrying out of the above two measures at the earliest possible date would, it was hoped, meet with the unanimous support of His Excellency and the Members of this Council, and the speaker begged leave to move accordingly.

The resolution was seconded by Sir Shou-son Chow.

us.

MR. J. P. BRAGA.

Mr. J. P. Braga: Like the poor the water question is always with About a year ago it figured Sir Henry said it was quite un- prominently in a discussion before necessary for him to lay emphasis the Sanitary Board. Ever since upon the serious and great incon- considerable space has been devot- venience which was being occasion-ed to it in the columns of the ed to the community, and, in parti- public Press. cular to the poorer section of the Chinese community in the rider-one of the first matters to engage Your Excellency's serious attention main districts, by the present short-since you assumed the government [age of water, for the position was sufficiently well-known to all mem bers of the Council.

It was also patent that, apart from extraordinary good luck in the matter of rainfall during the summer of this year, the position as regard water-shortage would be far worse this time next year than at present.

In The Public Interests.

In these circumstances, the Official Members of the Council, no less than the Unofficial Members, were virtually concerned, as cus- todians of the public interests, in respectfully urging upon the Home Authorities the imperative necessity for measures being taken forthwith for the purpose of remedying the water shortage as soon as possible.

Hence the words in the motion constructed and completed at the earliest possible date."

The first part of the motion dealt with the imperative necessity for the Shing Mun Water Scheme being joined up with the water system of the Island of Hong Kong by means of a pipe laid across the bed of the Harbour, he went on.

I am conscious of the fact that

of the Colony has been this one of the water supply, and it remains to this day one for anxious thought.

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The Resolutions moved by the senior unofficial member and seconded by the Senior Chinese member bespeak the imperative necessity for an immediate pro- vision of an adequate ply to prevent a recurrence of a water famine next year. The precarious condition of the water supply in the Island, if al- erious hardship on the people and, lowed to continue, will inflict

even in a more marked degree, on those least capable to hear it. Twenty or thirty cents a day, as the price of a single bucketful of the pre- cious fluid, means the deprivation in the homes of the labouring and of some necessary item of comfort working classes.

Their hardship

is great. And the duty is imposed on this Council to obtain relief for them. In our endeavour, I am happy in the assurance that the Government is entirely with the unofficial members. It is, there- fore, with great pleasure that I speak in support of the | Motions before the Council.

Residents of Kowloon have had

two

This was obviously a desirable measure, seeing that the Kowloon the benefit of observing the com- side had water to spare over and mendable expedition and workman- above its present requirements, and, like manner in which the large as the matter of water relief was mains have been laid down in the so urgent, this motion emphasized | trunk road on the mainland in an- specially that such pipe-line must be ticipation of the commencement of of such a character and construction the cross-harbour pipe-line to Hong as to be "capable of being complet-Kong. The work is being carried ed in the course of this year."

The Bye-Wash Reservoir.

on in a way to cause the least in- convenience to traffic and has elicit- ed favourable comments from Kow-

This, naturally, ruled out an loon residents. There is every alternative scheme which had been reason, therefore, to expect that! suggested for embedding a pipe-line the hope of the trans-harbour line in concrete and carrying it under being completed and in operation the surface of the bed of the Har- by the end of the year, will not be bour, because such alternative falsified.

scheme, apart from its being many times more expensive than the

scheme mentioned in the Motion,

would take so long a time to com- plete as to render relief in the near future impossible, he continued.

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