6.
81
Personal Emoluments figure for the present year does not therefore
bear any relation to the future normal figure though this is bound to be very high in comparison with 1941.
Before passing on to the subject of expenditure on
rehabilitation and on Other Charges it may be desirable for me
to endeavour to give you some impression of the condition to
which this Colony was reduced as a result of the Japanese attack followed by nearly four years' of enemy occupation. With the
exception of Government House which was almost wholly rebuilt
by the Japanese and some of the quarters attached to the hospitals,
no Government residential property was undamaged.
The propor-
tion of quarters which are completely destroyed or damaged to
such an extent that they must be pulled down appears to be higher
in the case of Government than in the case of property belonging
to business firms. The quarters that are repairable are for
the most part mere shells from which every scrap of woodwork,
including the floors, has been removed. Sanitary fittings and
piping have been smashed or removed and all electrical wiring
has been torn out No precise estimate can be given of the
cost of repairing the damage to Government buildings but a com-
mittee assembling statistics regarding the general property
position in the Colony estimated the damage to all buildings
at $187 million. This represented purely structural damage
and made no allowance for the value of the contents of the
buildings.
10.
•
This is not all. In addition to repairs, complete
re-equipment for hospitals, schools, railways etc., is necessary.
Large quantities of standard Government furniture must be
manufactured to re-furnish Government residential quarters. No
maintenance of any sort has been carried out for four years on
railways, roads, waterworks or drains.
Neglect in regard to
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