CO129-539-12 Loans for public works- military finances 26-2-1932 - 7-3-1933 — Page 51

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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

No vital schemes of Harbour dredging are at present being held up owing to the non-completion of the Harbour Survey. The sum in the Estimates is considered sufficient to carry out the 1933 programme.

The progress on the Harbour Survey has been very satisfactory and much more rapid than was originally anticipated.

While I have no doubt that the manufacture of a heavy Road Roller is well within the compass of local works it cannot reasonably be expected that they could compete in design with Companies in England which have specialized in Roller manufacture and have many years of experience behind them.

The letting of certain maintenance contracts in the early Autumn instead of in January, as is the existing practice, has advantages and is being favourably considered in connection with the Contracts for 1933.

Plans for the new Government Civil Hospital at Pokfulam Road are now well in hand and it is proposed to lay them before the Public Works Committee before the end of this month, when the Hon. D. M. S. S. will be invited to be present.

As all the plant for the new Broadcasting Station with the exception of the masts, which are still on indent, is already in the Colony, it is hoped that this station at Hung Hom will be completed by June.

The broadcasting of English and Chinese programmes concurrently is engaging the attention of Government, and it is hoped that experiments in this direction may be carried out next

year.

Nothing, however, can be done until the new Hung Hom Broadcasting Station is completed.

The position regarding the sewerage of Ho Mun Tin has not materially altered since questions regarding this matter were answered in this Council on 5th September 1929. The matter is further complicated by the suggestion now under consideration to reclaim the Harbour of Refuge at Mong Kok Tsui.

The question of the widening of the roadway at the new Warders' Quarters, Laichikok, is under consideration and it is hoped that an improvement can be effected at an early date.

Regarding the disposal of land at Kowloon Tsai, when this area is formed it is proposed to offer the land in plots to suit the convenience of both large and small purchasers.

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