CO129-540-5 Water supply- Shing Mun Valley Waterworks scheme 11-5-1932 - 7-12-1932 — Page 118

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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

for some years to come to discard the rider-main system. We would, therefore, most strongly urge the Government to press on with the plans for the construction of the big dam in the Shing- Mun gorge and with the building of the dam itself."

And, in the course of the same debate (see Hansard at page 193) the Honourable Sir Shou-son Chow, speaking on behalf of himself and the other two Chinese members, after pointing out the hardships then suffered by the poorer classes of Chinese, said. “Sir, we cannot afford a recurrence of that most distressing condition. It must be prevented with all the means and energy at the command of the Government. All the permanent schemes should be decided upon and pressed on with the greatest possible speed, without a single day's avoidable delay."

Equally emphatic were the remarks of the Honourable Sir Shou-son Chow on the 20th October, 1930 (see Hansard 1930 p. 199), in speaking for all the Unofficial Members jointly.

Finally, it was decided to place the work in the hands of an eminent firm of consulting engineers in England, Sir Alexander Binnie, Son and Deacon, and, in January of last year, Mr. Gourleay of that firm paid a visit of inspection to this Colony, and in the autumn Mr. Binnie came out here, with the result that, on the 10th December last year, (see Hansard 1931 at page 209) His Excellency the present Governor stated in this Council as follows: "The position with regard to the second section is that the scheme has been submitted to the Consulting Engineers, and two members of the firm have been out here and have approved of it. The question was referred to the Secretary of State in the first instance and it was held over temporarily for that report. He expressed some views on the subject as to whether we could afford the total cost. It is a very expensive scheme, but I strongly pointed out, in a despatch which included a reference to the Gaol, that not only was it an essential work, vital to the Colony, but that I considered our financial position was amply good enough to permit of the scheme being proceeded with at once. In the telegram in which the Secretary of State approved of the Gaol being paid for out of loan funds, he merely stated, with regard to the second section of the Shing-Mun scheme, that we must wait a little until he had seen the Consulting Engineers' Report. I assume, therefore, that, if the second report is favourable, we shall be allowed to proceed with it."

With reference to those remarks of H.E. the Governor, it seems to me absurd to suggest that this Colony, whose actual revenue for 1931 amounted, I understand, to far more than the estimate, i.e. to about thirty-three millions of dollars, cannot afford to pay for such a vital necessity as water, which is far more necessary to this Colony and its expansion than even a new Gaol.

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