Sessional_Paper_1907 — Page 1096

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The walls are of Canton red brick faced externally with Amoy bricks and having a deep plinth and dressings of granite. They are finished internally with a dado of white glazed tiles ranging from 4 feet to 5 feet in height, above the level of which they are pointed with line mortar and whitewashed. The floors are of cement concrete, supported where necessary on cast iron columns and steel beams and the roof is covered with double pan and roll tiling on steel trusses and purlins.

The total cost, including piled foundations, fittings, lighting, water supply, &c., was $172,567.46.

50. Post Office.-The foundations were finally completed and the site handed over to Messrs. Sang Lee & Co., Contractors for the superstructure, on the 23rd January. Substan- tial progress was made by the close of the year, the walls generally having been built to ground floor level or higher, and the piers of verandahs to 6 feet above ground floor level. About half the steel girders and joists for carrying the ground floor were placed in position and the door and window frames were fixed. Of the balusters for verandah balustrades, which are being made of granolithic, 1,000 were moulded by the close of the year. In the case of this building also, great damage was done to the scaffolding by the typhoon and a temporary roof which had been erected over a considerable portion of the site was entirely destroyed, much of the material being blown into the Harbour.

51. Post Office, Shanghai.—This work, which consisted of considerable extensions to the old Post Office building, was reported as completed in December. As it was carried out practically independently of the Public Works Department, being under the charge of the Surveyor to H. M. Board of Works, Shanghai. it is not possible to refer to it in any detail. The total cost, inclusive of a fee of $1,200 to the Board of Works Surveyor, was $25,381.35.

52. Prison. It was intended to undertake under this Vote the construction of the first section of a new prison which was to be situated at the base of the Southern slopes of the Kowloon range of bills. A survey and some preliminary plans and estimates for the scheme were prepared, but, before further steps were taken, instructions were received that the work was not to be proceeded with. No expenditure was therefore incurred under the

vote.

53. Public Latrines und Urinals.-The two urinals, referred to in last year's report, one in Connaught Road, opposite the end of Douglas Street, and the other in Salisbury Road, Kowloon, were completed and a latrine in Macdonnell Road, Kowloon, at the North end of Kowloon Inland Lot 909 was begun and was nearing completion at the close of the year.

An iron latrine at Mongkoktsui, which had to be removed in connection with improvements there, was taken down and re-erected.

54. Yauman School. The expenditure incurred under this heading was merely the balance due to the Contractor, the work having been practically completed at the close of 1905.

55. Quarters for Officers, Tai Po.-A description of this work was given in last year's report. The quarters were completed and occupied in February and a stable in connection with them was completed in March. The latter contains a loose-box and two stalls, harness room and coach-house. The total cost of the work was as follows:-

Quarters,

*

Stable, including approach road and widening part of

causeway,..

Total,....

.$ 26,468.40

5,084.19

.$ 31,552.59

56. Quarters for Sumalmen, Green Island. Since the establishment of a Signal Station on Green Island, the men on duty in connection with it had been housed in a matshed. Some more permanent accommodation was considered necessary and accordingly a small brick building was erected on a site adjacent to the flagstaff. It contains 3 small rooms, 2 kitchens and a bathroom. Two kitchens were necessary on account of there being two signalmen, one of whom is a married man, A small building was also provided for the storage of the flags and storm signals and the path leading from the lighthouse to the top of the hill was concreted. The total expenditure on the work, which was completed in December, amounted to $4,584.12.