CO129-523-6 Criticism of Hong Kong Administration 29-1-1930 - 3-3-1930 — Page 30

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Public Works Department. The besetting sin of this

Department is their extravagance, not only in the superfluity

of foreign personnel employed but also in the manner in which

they open up new roads which are certainly in most cases

unnecessary at a time like this, when every effort should be

made to save and not to spend.

The P.W.D. in Hong Kong employ an immense number of foreigners in subordinate positions, such as surveyors, overseers, sanitary inspectors etc.; but they do not employ one Chinaman.

The class of men who undertake this work are in many cases by

no means a fair type, and it is well known that some of

them in some unaccountable way have been able to retire long

before men in the higher branches of the service could even

consider taking such a step. These matters have frequently been

represented in the strongest possible manner to the late

Governor, who invariably agreed and said that something should be done. That, however, was about all that happened. He never

ceased to lay stress, at a Chamber of Commerce meeting or at

any other favourable opportunity, upon the desirability of

private enterprise utilizing the services of Chinese whenever

they could; but actually, so far as the Hong Kong Government

itself is concerned, absolutely nothing has yet been attempted.

There was a case of a young Chinese, who obtained his B.Sc.

(Chemistry) degree at the Hong Kong University and, at the personal request of the Governor, was placed in the Radiology

Department of the Government Civil Hospital. The European personnel in this hospital made it so uncomfortable for this

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