repairs to sewers and S.W.D. and 184 replacements of covers, gratings, traps, etc., were carried out by contract labour. Restoration of nullah and stormwater channels in the Peak District was put in hand, and in the Kowloon City area 100 ft. of 6" sewer and 426 ft. of 15" stormwater drains were renewed.
ELECTRICAL & MECHANICAL OFFICE
Obsolete and unserviceable stores have been listed and inspected by the Board of Survey: disposal by public auction is still in hand. The P.W.D. cross harbour stores transport service was inaugurated and tested for a period of four weeks. and has proved satisfactory.
The work done by the Electrical Section during this period included 165 electrical installations completed and over 100,000 yards of wiring used, 115 electrical installations were in hand, 772 faults were repaired and 223 estimates were prepared.
In the Mechanical Section, 5 troop carriers with locally built bodies were received for the Police Department, 1 Austin Saloon Car was received for the Commissioner of Rating & Valuation, and 3 Karrier moving floor refuse carriers were received for the Urban Council. Work was put in hand on enlargement of the parking area conversion of the Boiler House to Paint Shop, and provision for the accommodation for the Senior Foreman at Kowloon Workshop towards the end of the quarter.
A total of 4,950 jobs were completed by the Workshops during the period under review.
PORT WORKS OFFICE
During the last quarter of 1949 all phases of Port Works Office activities continued unabated. Repair and maintenance work on piers included guniting of concrete, painting of steelwork and fendering repairs. Sea was also received a good measure of attention, including repairs at Sai Wan Ho near the Taikoo Docks, filing in cavities of face work at Shamshuipo, and sundry works at Saigon Street, Lai Chi Kok, and Sai Kung.
The total quantity dredged by two units at Causeway Bay, Tonnochy Road Pier, French Street Dust Boat Station and Proserpine Rocks was 72,346 cubic yards.
Reclamation work at Staunton Creek, Aberdeen, North Point and Kun Tong, and at Hunghom continued, the work at Aberdeen being 92%. completed.
The Survey Department worked at Tsun Wan, to the south of Castle Peak Road, to the north of Castle Peak Road, and also surveyed and prepared plans for 17 permanent piers at Hong Kong harbour, 14 in Kowloon and 2 in New Territories. Surveys were also carried out for the Marine Department and various other works.
At Kai Tak Airport, in addition to the normal maintenance, 413,908 square feet of runway was repaired, the contract for bituminous surfacing signed and tenders called for the construction of taxi track and drains.
ROADS OFFICE
Fair progress has been made on the following works, but spells of wet weather, shortage of cement, the need to meet traffic requirements and the vagaries of the temporary tarmacadam plant at Morrison Hill have accounted for considerable delay. Works completed include new roads in all parts of the Colony, concrete bus stand for new bus terminus in Aldrick Street, Peak Road above Upper Tram Station as far as the boundary of Mountain Lodge site, Stanley Main Street. The final coat of tartops surface was laid on the south side of Causeway Road, the reconstruction of which is now complete, except the south footpath awaiting future development adjacent to recreation grounds. Other works include railings, parapet walls, footpaths and scavenging lanes in various districts and private account works including repairs to the road to Shek O Golf Club and numerous run-ins, etc. in all districts. The Peak Road above May Road has been satisfactorily completed under Contract 57 of 1949.
Good progress has been made in the resurfacing of roads which were in very poor condition, except where delays occurred due to the laying of mains and cables by utility companies.
A heavy roads programme was put in hand and all equipment, plant and staff were fully employed in maintenance and repair work in Kowloon and the New Territories.
The reconditioning at Morrison Hill of the tar boiler and other equipment required for the production of tarred stone for macadamising the roads has resulted in the improve- ment of the production of the supply of this material so urgently required for roadwork in Hong Kong. Similarly, improvements in production have been recorded at Hok Un and Hang Shiu Kiu Quarries, where stone is prepared for the Kowloon and New Territories roads.
Work is still going on repairs and filling in of old A.R.P. tunnels.
WATERWORKS OFFICE
Rainfall for the three months was 8.55 inches compared with an average of 7.13 inches. The total amount of water in storage on 31st December was 4,701 million gallons com- pared with 4,530 million gallons on 31st December, 1948, an increase of 171 million gallons, Consumption, however, con- tinued to increase and the hours of supply were restricted to 17 hours per day in October and 15 hours per day during November and December, compared with full supply in October and November 1948 and a 16 hour supply during December 1948. Despite these more severe restrictions, the total consumption for the three months was 227.41 million gallons more than for the corresponding period in 1948.
148 joints on the Shing Mun Trunk Mains in Nathan Road were welded to prevent leakage. The preparation of a new built-up 50 feet length of 21" diameter steel piping, with expansion joint, to replace the damaged length of underwater cross harbour main was completed. The prepara- tion of the pipe laying frame required to lay the new length of piping was almost completed.
Pumping stations operated satisfactorily as required. The suction box casting for No. 4 steam pump at Tytam Tuk fractured and had to be replaced. Stand-by diesel engines were obtained for Garden Road and Aberdeen Pumping Stations, and the installation of these was in hand. The installation of the new diesel and electric pumps at the new Eastern Pumping Station
tests was completed and satisfactory.
were
The following new contracts were completed satisfactorily: Eastern R. G. Filters & Pump House, Manufacture of 15,000 ft. of 24" dia. R.C. piping for Bowen Road, and the Wong Nei Chong Slow Sand Filters, Contract for laying 24" Bowen Road main was nearing completion at the end of the year.
10,493 feet of 6" asbestos cement pipes were laid from the Hok Tau Intake for the Fanling supply, the construction of the intake was in hand.
48,246 feet of distribution mains were laid in the Urban areas to meet new development and improve distribution.
Test borings for the Port Works Office, and survey work in connection with the Tai Lam Chung Scheme were in hand; while designs for the new Stanley filters and service reservoir, and for the new Kowloon workshop and depot were completed.
29,884 accounts for water consumed and 1,407 demand notes for deposits to ensure payment of water charges, were issued.
VALUATION AND RESUMPTIONS OFFICE
The total valuations for lease renewals amounted to $214,680; for resumption purposes, 71 properties were valued at $5,017,797; for exchanges the total valuations amounted to $160,407, and for estate duty 173 hereditaments were valued at $4,010,406. In connection with valuations for lease renewals, premiums by instalments were computed for various lessees who wished to "spread out" their payments.
In addition to the above work, this department assessed government property values, purchases by Government, Town Planning Schemes, etc., total valuation for which amounted to $1,798,483.00.
GF
GF
British
PIPE FITTINGS
Perfect threads; real malleability; suitable for
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STOCKS CARRIED
SIBER HEGNER & CO., LTD.
ST. GEORGE'S BUILDING
TELEPHONE 22625
40
HONG KONG
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