Sessional_Paper_1893 — Page 112

HONGKONG.

109

No.

9

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS FOR 1892.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor, on the 22nd March, 1893.

No. 117.

PUBLIC WORKS OFFICE, HONGKONG, 7th February, 1893.

93

REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1892.

SIR,-I have the honour to forward you a report on the works carried out by this Department during the past year. Owing to the amalgamation of the Surveyor General's and the Water and Drainage Departments early in the year, I propose to deal in this report with the whole of the Public Works previously in charge of these two departments.

ANNUALLY RECURRENT WORKS.

2. Repairs of Buildings.--The following new Buildings were completed in 1891. The Civil Hospital Coolie Quarters, Lunatic Asylum for Chinese, Police Stations at Aberdeen, Kennedy Town and Quarry Bay, and the District School Saiyingpun, the maintenance and repair of which therefore became chargeable during the past year to this vote.

3. The old Central School has been removed, the site being utilised for the erection of "The Belilios School for Girls."

4. The total number of Buildings of all description now in charge of this Department is one hundred and twenty-nine.

The whole of these, with the exception of Mountain Lodge which has practically been abandoned, have been maintained in a satisfactory condition.

5. Extensive repairs to the roof at Government House and the floors of the Supreme Court House were carried out during the latter part of the year.

During the repairs of the Supreme Court temporary accommodation was provided at the Masonic Hall in Zetland Street.

6. The construction of a small addition to the Magistracy mentioned in my last report was completed in the month of April,

7. The following buildings have been painted externally, Shektongtsui Market, Stanley Police Station, Taitam Police Station and Saiyingpun Market.

8. The re-drainage of the Harbour Officers' Quarters and of the Government Office Stables has been effected.

9. The contractors for the work done in connection with the repair and maintenance of Govern- ment Buildings during the past year have been Mr. A. Hox for work within the City of Victoria and Messrs. CHAN A TONG & Co. for work outside the city.

10. For the purpose of checking the expenditure incurred by this Department on buildings in occupation by other departments, separate departmental accounts have been kept during the past year. The following list shews the several headings of account and the expenditure against them :-

Department.

(1) Government House, Government Offices, Supreme Court, Botanical

Department,

(2) Police Stations, and Magistracy,

(3) Gaol,..

(4) Educational (Schools),

(5) Sanitary Board,

(6) Medical (Hospitals and Asylums),

(7) Miscellaneous,

(8) Harbour (Office and Powder Magazine),

Total,

Amount.

$10,037.74

8,241.61

1,586.04

1,912.17

4,269.20

3,714.77

3,131.25

1,087.87

$33,980.65

11. Maintenance of Telegraphs.-During the past year a good deal has been done towards the more efficient maintenance of the Telegraph lines; iron poles have been substituted for wooden ones wherever the latter have required renewal.