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Q-And what, in your opinion, is the remedy for the delays?
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A-An increased staff.
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By Mr. Shewan.-You attribute the delay entirely to the smallness of the staff, Mr. ORANGE?
A-I can offer no other reason.
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Q-When you say it has taken about two months, and have received no answer yet, what do you consider a proper time in which to answer?
A-Well, I wrote on November, 12th and 13th, and it is certainly too long to wait till January. I should say two or three days.
Q-And you say the houses were building for eighteen months, and it was not until four months after that the drains were made. How long would it have taken had they gone on at once with these drains?
A-I should say a mouth.
Q-And they were practically 22 months ?
A-I would not expect connection with the drains made at the beginning of the building of the houses.
Q--With regard to your statement that the delay was monstrous," would it surprise you to know that a local architect, in giving us his opinion, said that he did not consider that there was great delay in land sales?
A-Yes, it would surprise me.
Q-You say that the Director of Public Works has too much to do. Can he not delegate some one else in the Department to do some of the work? Is there any rea- son why he should not alter the system?
A-The law says that the Director of Public Works has got to be responsible. It is very difficult as the law stands.
Q-Can he not tell Mr. So-and-So to answer this letter, and Mr. So-and-So to attend to this application, although he is responsible ?
A-It seems to me that he is responsible. He has the signing of all these things, and naturally he reads over what is done.
Q-The head man in a private firm does not pretend to do everything himself? A-I think a Government Department is not exactly the same as a private firm.
Q-Under the present law and system, he has absolutely to do what you say ?
A--He has absolutely to do that.
By Mr. Thurburn.-Building activity in Hongkong has been accentuated only since three or four years ago. If all these delays occurred within that time-say four years the Public Works Department was doing their duty before, then?
A-I should say they do their duty always.
Q-I don't mean their duty.
A-I should say the difficulty is accentuated with the growth of the Colony; and the delay, in my mind, becomes greater.
Q-You have uo complaint to make about three or four years ago?
A-Only within the past year or eighteen months.
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