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A special Fire Alarm service has been established by connecting the Central Police Station and those in the Eastern and Western Districts of the City with the principal fire station, from which in turn alarm bells can be rung in the Firemen's Dormitory, the Charge Room at the Central Station, and the Superintendent's bed room.

3. Maintenance of Public Cemetery.—The paths leading to the terraces laid out within recent years have been permanently formed with kerbs and concrete surfacing. One of the bridges crossing the stream which flows through the cemetery has been renewed with iron beams and concrete, the former wooden structure having become insecure owing to the decay of the beams.

4. Maintenance of Praya Wall and Piers.-No exceptional expenditure was called for under this vote.

5. Maintenance of Lighthouses.--The buildings have been maintained in good condition and the only exceptional damage caused by storms has been the carrying away of the timber jib of the landing derrick at Gap Rock. In order to provide for the landing of the reliefs and stores, the damage has been made good by fixing another timber jib, similar to the one carried away, but one of steel has now been constructed and will be fixed whenever an opportunity occurs of conveying it to the Rock.

6. Dredging Foreshores.--The dredger has been principally employed at Causeway Bay in connec- tion with the Praya Reclamation Works. By arrangement with the Hongkong and Kowloon Wharf and Godown Company, the craft and machinery performed some dredging alongside their wharves at Kowloon for a period of 7 weeks.

7. Miscellaneous Works.--Under this vote, numerous minor works have been carried out and improvements effected, of which the following are the principal:

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Balconies at married quarters, Central Police Station.

Approach path and stair to Staff Quarters, Civil Hospital.

Permanent scaffold at Victoria Gaol.

Cook-house for Mahomedans at the Civil Hospital.

Alterations, &c., for extension of Post Office.

Latrine at Public Laundries, Kennedy Road.

Cells at Hung Hom Police Station.

Matsheds at Kennedytown Hospital.

Troughs and tying-up rings in inspection shed, Pig and Sheep Depôts.

Reconstructing roof of Powder Magazine, Stonecutter's Island.

Reconstructing roof of Stanley Police Station.

Laying on gas to Superintendent's Quarters, Botanical and Afforestation Department. Improvement of approaches to Government Offices.

Temporary pier at Hung Hom.

Alterations of Volunteer Head Quarters.

8. Maintenance of Roads and Bridges in Victoria.--In the case of several of the roads where the gradients are considerable, such as Queen Victoria and Jubilee Streets, portions of Caine Road, &c., concrete surfacing has been laid down to avoid the frequent repairs which were necessary with macadam- ized surfaces.

With the exception of some portions of the old Praya Roadway, which is undergoing considerable alterations both as regards width and level, the roads generally have been maintained in a satisfactory condition.

9. Maintenance of Roads and Bridges out of Victoria.-The two timber bridges on the Tytam Road above Wongneichong Village having fallen into a state of decay have been replaced with stone and brick arches, surmounted with iron railings. Many of the roads have been re-surfaced and a number of the most dangerous places in the Hill District have been protected by substantial iron railings.

10. Maintenance of Roads and Bridges in Kouloon.-A number of encroachments caused by the old garden lots, in Cameron, Carnarvon and Kimberley Roads have been removed during the past year, thus admitting of the formation of these roads to the proper lines. Portions of Cameron and Granville Roads have been macadamized and a part of Carnarvon Road, which is on a somewhat steep gradient, has been laid with concrete surfacing. The construction of good and well laid out roads in Kowloon is steadily progressing and each year sees some district, hitherto inaccessible except by rough footpaths, brought within reach of wheeled traffic.

11. Maintenance of Waterworks, City of Victoria and Hill District.-A constant supply of filtered water to the City and Hill District has been inaintained throughout the year and the quality of the water as ascertained by analysis has been excellent. The total quantity supplied was 1,042,105,000 gallons, equal to an average daily consumption of 2,855,082 gallons, or 15.24 per head for a population of 187,408 for all purposes. Deducting trade supplies, which amount to 153,195,000 gallons, the average consump- tion per head per diem is reduced to 13 gallons. In addition to the above, 76,289,000 gallons of unfil- tered water have been supplied.