CO129-534-3 Report of Retrenchment Commission 4-5-1931 - 19-2-1932 — Page 66

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Offices can deal with the extra work that will be thrown on to them. It is however anticipated that no large reductions will be possible, for whilst Government is not itself embarking on an extensive constructional programme, there is considerable building development going on especially on the mainland, which involves the provision of drains and drainage systems, and improved streets and reads. It is on account of this rapid development that the Government does not feel able to agree to the amalgamation at present of the Roads and Drainage Offices which

deal with very specialized spheres of work.

Paragraph 23. On the island there are 77 Government

motor vehicles, exclusive of motor cycles, and on the mainland 47.

The matter has been gone into very carefully, and the

solution which appears to Government to be the most economical

is to concentrate the repair of all Hong Kong vehicles at the

Wanchai workshop, and all Kowloon vehicles at the Hungham workshop.

The Manager, Railway, states that for the railway to undertake

major repairs of all vehicles he would require an additional

European mechanic, while, as the Commissioners realize, a workshop

for minor repairs would still be necessary on the Hong Kong side.

The transport of motor vehicles, especially such heavy vehicles

as Road Rollers, from Hong Kong to Kowloon would be expensive and unsatisfactory. The advantages of the present system in the daily supervision and adjustment of Government vehicles seem to

have been inadequately appreciated by the Commissioners. It is proposed to retrench the post of European Workshop Mechanic at the Wanchai shop, but it is considered necessary to retain the post of Mechanical Engineer. It may ultimately be found that the best solution will be to place the workshops, so far as

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motor