Directory_and_Chronicle_1933 — Page 1073

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HONGKONG

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The Hongkong Tramways, Limited, operate electric tramway services in the City of Victoria, the total route length being 10 miles and extends along practically the whole length of the Northern Waterfront of Hongkong, i.e., from Kennedy Town to the village of Shaukiwan as well as Happy Valley,

The first car ran through the City in 1904 amidst great excitement among the Chinese. The fares are at the flat rate of 10 cents first class and 5 cents second class.

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The rolling stock consists of 86 double deck saloon top cars having a seating capacity of 62, the trucks are of either the Peckham or English Electric Company's manufacture of the most modern type with a wheel base of 8 ft. 6 in., the electrical equipment, being the English Electric Company's through- out. The bodies were made at the Company's Works, Hongkong, and are of teak. They are exceedingly neat. Not only are they the only double-deck cars in Asia but are probably the most attractive,

The permanent way is of 3 ft. 6 in. gauge and consists of either B.S.S. No. 6 or Special Dwarf, Section Tramrail on a concrete foundation with paving of granite setts or asphaltum. This Company also operates a bus service from the centre of the City to Happy Valley and Taikoo Dockyard. The buses for these services being 25 seaters by Messrs. Guy Motors, Limited.

The Kai Tack Motor Bus Co. (1926), Ltd., which is one of the three Bus Companies operating in Kowloon is also owned and operated by the Hong- kong Tramways, Limited, and regular bus services are run between Star Ferry (Kowloon) to Kowloon City as well as between Kowloon City and Yaumati. This fleet consists of 20 buses, the chassis by the firm of Messrs Dennis Bros., Guildford, the bodies being made at the Company's Works, Kowloon, and seat 20 passengers in the smaller and 30 passengers in the larger buses.

A cable tramway has since 1888 given access to the Peak and is worked with great success, both financially and otherwise. The City terminus of this. interesting little line is at St. John's Place. Powers were obtained in 1908 for the making of another tramway to the Peak, starting from Battery Path and proceeding up the Glenealy Ravine to a point close to the terminus of the existing line, but owing to public opposition to two of the suggested routes the scheme was abandoned, the alternative routes, on which some tun- nelling was necessary, proving too expensive. The construction of a line from Wanchai to Mt. Caroline, giving access to new building sites on the higher levels, has been promised for several years past by the Government but though a sum of money was voted for the purpose by the Legislative Council in 1919 the projects has been shelved up to date on one pretext or another. A motor bus service to Repulse Bay is maintained by the Hongkong Hotel. An auto- matic telephone exchange was erected early in 1930 and the change over took place in May.

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INSTITUTIONS

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There are several Clubs in the Colony. The principal are the Hongkong Club on the Praya, the Club Lusitano in Ice House Street, the Phoenix Club on the Praya, and American, Dutch and Japanese Clubs. The Hongkong Club is a handsome building replete with every modern comfort; a large annexe was completed in 1902. The Peak Club is domiciled in a pretty build- ing at Plunkett Gap, and possesses tennis and croquet lawns on land adjoin- ing. There are also the United Services Recreation Club (Kowloon), the Club de Recreio, the Craigengower Cricket Club, the Civil Service Cricket Club, the Deutsche Club, the Filipino Club, the Indian Recreation Club, the South China Athletic Association, the Chinese Athletic Association, the Chinese Recreation Club, the Victoria Recreation Club, the Royal Hongkong: Yacht Club and the Hongkong Polo Club. The Royal Hongkong Golf Club has four courses, Happy Valley and Deep Water Bay (9 holes each) and Fanling (two 18 holes courses, the "new" and the "old"). There is a Hockey Club, a Chess Club, and a Yacht Club. The Club house of the recently inaugurated Hongkong Flying Club, was officially

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