CO129-525-5 Colfix road surfacing materials 21-2-1930 - 26-5-1930 — Page 52

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The Hon: Director of Public Works,

Sir,

HONGKONG.

HONGKONG,

14th June, 1929.

52

Your ref: 2302/19D.

We have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 12th June, being in reply to ours of 17th May, and we regret to note from same that the experiment carried out on Connaught Road West with Colfix has not proved to your satisfaction. On receipt of your letter, we have gone fully into all details concerning this test, and we are strongly of the opinion that in this case, as in previous tests made, the instructions necessary in the application of Colfix have not been rigidly adhered to. One of the most important points is that the road must be thoroughly brushed, preferably with hard brooms, before applying the material, and in the case of the experiment referred to, we understand that only bamboo brushes were used, which could not brush the road sufficiently well and draw the metal into relief, which is necessary. We believe that your Mr. Pegg informed us that you had no harder brushes available, but we are of the opinion that in a small matter of this kind, more facilities could have been extended to us.

At the time the test was made on Connaught Road West, and on which one barrel of Colfix 3pray was used, we handed to you in all five barrels, and it was understood that the remaining four barrels would be utilised for further test purposes. We would, therefore, be glad to hear if anything has been done in the matter of the remaining four barrels, and if not, we would also appreciate your views as to what steps you would be prepared to take in order to make the further experiments which we think we are reasonably entitled to expect.

We regret having to mention that we still feel that, in comparison to tests made in other markets in the Far East, we have had considerably more assistance rendered to us by these different authorities than we have in Hongkong, and for that reason, we would request that an early opportunity be afforded us of making a further test, as we are thoroughly convinced that, if the material is applied properly and all the conditions specified, carried out, the results will be exceedingly satisfactory.

In such an event, we presume that the four barrels which you have in hand just now can be utilised, unless, of course, further tests have been made and advice of which we are entirely without.

While, as you will have gathered from our

testimonials in regard to Colfix Cold Emulsion, it has been applied to roads carrying exceptionally heavy traffic in London, we would just like to draw your attention to the fact that the test carried out on Connaught Road Test was rather a heavy one, in view of the fact that there is so much traffic by hand trucks and other heavy vehicles there. We think that these facts ought to be readily taken into consideration.

We trust that, on the strength of the foregoing, we will be privileged to receive a reply from you, and that you will be in a position to make arrangements for a further test on a larger scale, in accordance with our request. So far as we are