Sessional_Paper_1901 — Page 588

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Appendix No. 4.

WORK DONE BY THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT IN THE

NEW TERRITORY, DURING THE YEAR 1900.

BUILDINGS.

1. The large permanent two-storied Police Station containing 11 rooms at Au-tau near Ün Long, containing accommodation for 6 Europeans, 21 Indians and Chinese, was completed, the total cost being $13,286.83.

2. Plans and estimates were prepared and a contract let for a similar Station, but rather smaller, at Shataukok near to Startling Inlet at the Northern Boundary of the Territory. The building was finished and occupied before the end of the year. The total expenditure on it in the year was $9,100.15.

3. Plans and estimates were also prepared and a contract let for a similar Station at Sai Kung on Shelter Bay. The masonry was well advanced before the end of the year, but the work has been slow owing partly to much sickness among the workmen. The expenditure in the year ou this Station was $2,628.05.

4. Ping Shán Police Station was finally completed at a total cost of $13,514.15. It is similar

to that at Au-tau.

5. The construction of a causeway to connect the hill on which the official quarters and the Police Station stand with an Island close to deep water at Táipó was undertaken under a contract amounting to $4,887.70. The work when well advanced was twice partially destroyed by storms, and the contractor, who is unfortunately a man wanting in resources, has been disheartened and has made indifferent progress. The work will be finished this year. The expenditure in 1900 was

$2,030.72.

6. The matshed buiklings at Táipó suffered severely in the somewhat severe gales which occurred in September and were almost destroyed in the typhoon of November. They have been restored and put in good order at a cost of $1,051.

7. Telephone communication was extended to the temporary Police Station at San-t'in at a cost of $944.04.

8. Shataukok Station was also conuected with the Telephone system, the expenditure on it and other lines being $852.

9. Táipó Road. This road was completed down to sea level in the Shatin valley, a distance of 9 miles from Kowloon ferry, early in the year. The contractor who had constructed the road so far, and done good work, refused to go on with the next section except at very exorbitant increases in rates, nor was it found possible for some time to secure any contractor willing to take up the work at anything like reasonable rates.

However at last a man was found to take it on, but the progress during 1900 was not equal to that made in 1899. The 10th and 11th miles for a great part skirt the sea-shore of Shatin Inlet and some heavy bridging is necessary to carry the road over streams draining the southerly and easterly slopes of the Tái-mó-Shán range. The road is chiefly on embankment with the sea-face pitched with granite laid in mortar and pointed in cement. The masonry of the abutments and piers of the Tai Wai bridge, 3 spans of 30 feet clear, was completed in the year, and also that of the 30- foot bridge on the 10th mile. The eleventh mile is, for over 1,700 feet, carried on a causeway across a bay or arm of the sea so as to avoid a long detour. This was a difficult work, but has been successfully completed, and being shorter and more direct than a road hugging the sea-shore, will save in future maintenance. Except the fixing of the iron work, which had not arrived from England, on the large bridges, the road was practically completed and ready for traffic to 114 miles from Kowloon in December. The trace was carried on to Táipó, and a foot-path opened along it, the total distance to Táipó by this road turns out to be 18 miles.

10. The renewal of Kowloon City Pier was completed, the total cost being $5,829.

11. The survey of the New Territory proceeded during the year under Mr. TATE, his Assistant Mr. NEWLAND carrying out the cadastral work. Progress has not been rapid and the work will evidently cost much more than was anticipated by this Government on the report of the Surveyor General of India. The total area cadastrally surveyed in the year was about 41,000 acres, and the total expenditure in the year was $32,455.26.

It was expected that at least Mr. TATE's work, namely the Trigonometrical Survey, would have been completed much sooner.

12. An iron and concrete bridge of two spans of 15 feet each was built on the Saikung Road just beyond Kowloon City.

13. The completed roads were well maintained during the year and were considerably used, that to Kowloon City proving that it met an urgent want of the constant stream of traffic pouring along it, and also on the cross road leading to Yaumati.

The Táipó Road has also come into use, persons visiting the New Territory, using it with carriages or jinrickshaws as far as Tai Wai on the 9th mile. Táipó is now easily within 4 hours' reach of Hongkong by road.

R. D. ORMSBY, Director of Public Works.

HONGKONG, 4th March, 1901.