CO129-597-3 Estimates 1950 22-2-1949 - 3-11-1950 — Page 209

-24-

207

almost over and a regular maintenance programme has been introduced.

Two new sub-heads are shown for the first time, maintenance of air conditioning plant and refrigerators, for which $10,000 is provided, and survey parties for reclamation schemes for which 45,000 is provided. Considerable economies have been made in respect of motor transport, the costs for which are now shown under the Electrical and Mechanical branch of the Public Works Department.

Head 31. Public Works Extraordinary,

Estimate 1949-50.

Revised Estimate 1948-49. Approved Estimate 1918-119. Actual Expenditure 1947-48.

$19,618,000

3,000,000 10,638,500 886,055

Sub-head 1 is purely a security measure.

Circumstances might arise where it might be necessary to utilise certain New Territories paths and tracks for light vehicles, and a sum of 1,000,000 is being provided to widen them and make them generally passablc.

Under sub-head 4, a sum of $700,000 has been included for the construction of what has loosely come to be known as Workers' Schools. A number of these schools have been established in various parts of the Colony. Their development has been affected by financial and other considerations. As a result they are rather scattered and the buildings are far from suitable. is felt that the time has now come for Government to take over these schools if they are to develop along acceptable lines under fully qualified teachers. One large industrial concern in the Colony is interested in the scheme and it is hoped that they will be prepared to make some contribution towards the cost.

It

The re

As regards sub-head 5, the present fire station in Kowloon is in a requisitioned building. seemed, until recently, to be good prospects of securing a long lease for this building, but this has now fallen through. We had therefore no option but to build a new fire station ourselves, and in many ways thi is the best solution, as no leased building would be suitable without very extensive alterations. The

لبط

building of the station is estimated to cost $2,000,000, but the drawings will take time to complotc, so only $500,000 has been provided for the present year.

Sub-head 7 relates to the projected new head- quarters for the Defence Force, which was previously estimated to cost $5,000,000. The exact requirements have not yet been decided upon, and until they are the drawings cannot be put in hand. For these reasons it is improbable that more than 2500,000 will be required to cover the work up to the end of the financial year 1949-50,

Provision was made in the estimates for the current year for the construction of a tuberculosis clinic, and it was proposed that another clinic should be constructed from funds which the Red Cross Society had very generously made available. When the matter was examined in more detail, however, it was found that the clinics would cost a good deal more than was at first envisaged, and for this and other reasons it did not