Estimates-1958 — Page 203

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of normal wastage through resignations, terminations and examination failures. 3 additional Overseers, 3 Foremen Class I, 14 Foremen Class II, 7 Foremen Class III, 10 Gangers and 13 Drivers (for refuse collecting vehicles) are required for extension of the scavenging services, and 2 Foremen Class I and 6 Gangers are needed to supervise the labourers employed on night scavenging. The Conservancy section needs 1 additional Overseer, 5 Foremen Class I, 4 Foremen Class II, 3 Gangers, and 7 Special Drivers (for the nightsoil collecting vehicles). The street cleansing services are also being augmented by 6 new street washing vehicles, and 6 Special Drivers are therefore required.

New projects requiring additional staff are the swimming pool at Victoria Park which will need 1 Foreman Class I as Chief Attendant, 7 Gangers as attendants, 4 Beach Guards as life savers, and an Artisan Class I for the filtration plant; and the market at Yaumati, which will require 1 Foreman Class II, 1 Foreman Class III and 1 Ganger, for its proper administration.

The extremely difficult conditions experienced at Gin Drinkers Bay refuse dump make necessary the employment of 2 Foremen Class II, 2 Foremen Class III and 1 Ganger for increased supervision.

Extra staff for the Pest Control Section include an Assistant Pest Control Officer, 51 Pest Control Foremen, of which 30 posts are regraded from Rodent Control Foremen Class II and III, 3 are regraded from Foremen Class II, and 18 are additional posts for the new anti- mosquito units. Of the 103 Pest Control Coolies, 73 are regraded from Rat Catchers, 12 from Sanitary Coolies, and 18 are additional posts for the anti-mosquito units.

The Stores Section has been re-organized and new staff required are 1 Store Foreman and 3 Attendants.

The semi-skilled labourers are needed to cope with the mounting number of repairs to departmental property which become necessary every day, and also with supervising the washing and cleaning of departmental vehicles.

Five additional Beach Guards are required to improve the life-saving services at Middle Bay, Repulse Bay and Deep Water Bay.

The Office Attendants, Watchmen, an Office/Workshop Assistant and a Cleaner, some of whom are offset by reductions in other grades, are required in various sections to augment the existing establishment owing to general expansion of the department; the latter two posts were approved during the year.

Of the 379 additional Sanitary Coolies, 82 are former Cleansing Coolies now transferred; 8 posts regraded as Watchmen and 12 as Pest Control Coolies partially offset the remainder; these are needed to extend and increase the Colony's scavenging and sanitary services, and as a leave reserve. To allow staff to enjoy some of the leave to which they are entitled, the following additional staff are included in their appropriate grades:-11 Foremen Class II, 10 Foremen Class III, 4 Special drivers, 3 Motor drivers, 5 Gangers, 1 Semi-skilled labourer and 45 Sanitary Coolies.

The establishment of Cleansing Chargemen is reduced from 11 to 5 following the regrading of 3 posts as Foremen Class III and 3 posts as Gangers, on re-arrangement of duties.

These changes together with normal increments account for the increase of $1,877,430 under the Personal Emoluments vote.

There has been a re-arrangement of votes under Other Charges Annually Recurrent resulting in the deletion of the votes for cemeteries, conservancy, rural sanitation and scavenging; the various provisions are now included under the votes for casual labour, stores and equipment, and travelling expenses. The daily-rated staff vote has been replaced by that for casual labour, and provision for improvement of urban amenities is now included under the Gardens Division vote for parks and playgrounds. There is a new subhead which provides for the cost of meals for the Sanitary Coolies working at Gin Drinkers Bay refuse dump. Increases occur in certain votes: $20,000 under advertising for increased health propaganda; $1,000 for publications; $150,000 for uniforms for additional staff; $15,000 for purchasing more ammunition to cope with increasing numbers of cattle to be slaughtered; $35,600 for running expenses of the new depart- mental vehicles; $37,800 for travelling expenses; and $55,000 has been transferred from Medical Subventions to meet the cost of purchasing coffins for paupers and unclaimed bodies.

Under Special Expenditure, provision is included for replacement of the departmental broadcasting equipment; also for 6 new refuse collecting vehicles and 6 street washers for extension of the scavenging and sanitary services. Revotes are included for the telephone line to Gin Drinker's Bay refuse dump ($5,000), and for the eight new nightsoil collecting vehicles ($329,140); the latter item having been approved by Special Warrant during the year.