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MAINTENANCE OF TELEGRAPHIS.

17. All the Government Telegraph and Telephone lines have been kept in good repair. Considerable expenditure was found to be necessary in the New Territory, where most of the poles are of timber. The Police Station at San Tin was connected by Telephone with Tai Po, (see C.S.O. Extension), new switchboards were installed at the Central and Tsim Sha Tsui Police Stations, and a great improvement in efficiency was effected thereby. A Special Telephone line was constructed from Government House to " The Cliffs" (C.S.O. 1588).

MAINTENANCE OF PUBLIC CEMETERY.

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18. The Cemetery grounds were kept in good order, and the usual supply of flower seeds was obtained from England. A portion of the ground was handed over to the Military Authorities under authority of C.S.O. 1307 as a special reserve for the burial of soldiers. The available space for general European burial is now very limited and the question of laying out a New Cemetery will ere long have to be faced.

MAINTENANCE OF PRAYA WALL AND PIERS.

19. General repairs and tarring were executed to the timber pier at Stonecutters' Island and to the Police pier at Tsim Sha Tsui. Under authority of C.S.O. the Ice House Street Wharf was rented to the "Star" Ferry Co. on the completion of the Blake Pier. The timber pier at Sam Shui Po was washed way by the heavy galo which occurred during the Autumn; it was in a decayed state. No works requiring special mention were exe- cuted to the Praya Wall.

MAINTENANCE OF LIGHTNOCSES.

20. All the Lighthouses were kept in good repair, Gap Rock and Green Island Lighthouses were generally repaired

and painted.

MAINTENANCce of RoadS AND BRIDGES IN VICTORIA.

21. The Roads, Streets and Bridges generally were kept in good repair. A large portion of Queen's Road was conted with Syenite Macalam broken by the Stone Breaker and rolled in by the Steam Roller, this stone being very hard forms a good road surface, forming less mud in wet and less dust in dry weather, than the softer kinds of granite.

In accordance with the scheme set forth in C. O. Tel, of 6th August, 1897, the work of widening Queen's Road was undertaken by the Naval Authorities, the surfacing, kerbing and channelling, &c. being carried out by this Department at their expense. The portion from the City Hall to Murray Road has been completed with the exception of the strip to be taken off the Cricket Ground opposite Garden Road, which may conveniently be left over until the widening of Murray Road is taken in hand. The widening of Queen's Road East in the neigh- bourhood of Wellington Barracks, was about completed at the close of the year.

MAINTENANCE OF ROADS AND BRIDGES OUT OF VICTORIA.

22. With the exception of Pokfulam Road nearly all these roads are surfaced with decomposed granite or such material

as can be found within a reasonable distance, cousequently they suffer much in the rainy season.

During the period under review the Road leading froin Wanchai Gap to Aberdeen was coated with small broken grauite obtained along the roadsides, although the material is soft, yet it makes a sufficiently good sur- face for Bridle Roads.

The old wooden Bridge near the top of this road, having fallen into decay, was replaced by a brick arch at a considerably higher level, thereby much improving the gradient of the road which was very steep at this place.

MAINTENANCE OF ROADS AND BRIDGES In Kowloon.

23. It can hardly be said that the main Roads in Kowloon have been maintained in a satisfactory condition during the year, for they have been very much cut up by the Siege Train connected with the China Expeditionary Force. The roads were not constructed to stand such heavy traffic and consequently a considerable expenditure, not met by the ordinary maintenance vote, will be necessary before the principal thoroughfares in Kowloon can be thoroughly repaired and I believe the time has arrived to lay down Macadam here, as the Peninsula bas grown to such an extent that the requirements of the ordinary traffic must be provided for.

GAS LIGHTING, CITY OF VICTORIA.

24. The number of Public lamps on the 25th of December, 1900, was as follows :—

Lamps with "S" Welsbach Burners,

Do.

CC

Do.,

Do. Ordinary Burners.

Wharf Lamps with Ordinary Burners,

600 146

Do.

do. “S” and “C” Welsbach Burners,

Total,..

757

The Gas Company have carried out their contract during the year in a satisfactory manner.

ELECTRIC LIGHTING, CITY OF VICTORIA.

25. There are 75 Electric lamps lighting Public Streets. The Electric Co. have maintained a satisfactory supply of

Electricity and kept the lamps in good working order.

GAS LIGHTING, Kowloon,

26. The number of Public lamps in Kowloon on the 25th December, 1900, was as follows :—

Lamps using "S

Wharf lamp,.

Welsbach burners,

Total,

The Gas Co. fulfilled their obligations satisfactorily.

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