Sessional_Paper_1908 — Page 698

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38. Maintenance of Roads and Bridges in City.-The only notable additions to the roads within the City were May Road, Queen's Gardens and the extension eastwards of Con- duit Road to Victoria Battery. There was much less disturbance caused by the laying of mains and cables than in recent years thus enabling the roads to be maintained in a more satisfactory condition.

39. Maintenance of Roads and Bridges outside City.-There is nothing of any moment to record under this heading.

40. Maintenance of Roads and Bridges in Kowloon.-Extensive drainage works, arising out of the reclamations in progress in Hunghom Bay and to the North of the Naval Coal Stores, and the laying of water mains disturbed the roads throughout the year, whilst the transport of material for reclamation purposes also interfered with their maintenance in a satisfactory condition. As the drainage works now in progress have been designed to admit of extension to the furthest limit to which it is considered advisable that reclamation should extend, the roads should not again suffer from the carrying out of works of this nature.

41. Maintenance of Roads and Bridges in New Territories.-The macadamizing of the Tai Po Road in consequence of the traffic resulting from the construction of the railway was extended to that portion of it lying between the 8th and 9th milestones. Considerable damage was caused to the road beyond the 6th milestone by the failure of a small dam constructed in connection with the railway works in a valley above the road and, at another part, near the 4th milestone, a huge boulder slipped from the hillside and nearly blocked the road completely. Temporary measures were adopted to enable the traffic to be maintained and the necessary works for the reinstatement of the road were well advanced at the close of the year.

A considerable extension of the Kowloon City Road towards Customs Pass was added. to the roads in this district.

42. Maintenance of Telegraphs.-Telephone lines were constructed between the following points:-

(i.) Water Works Office P.W.D. and Central Police Station Exchange. (ii) Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station and the Water Works Depôt at Yaumati. (iii.) Local Auditor's Office and C.S.O. Exchange.

The telegraph line from the Observatory to the Telegraph Company's Office was extended to the Harbour Office and another line was constructed between the two last- mentioned buildings. This arrangement by a suitable switch makes two alternative routes available between either of these buildings and the Observatory, thus reducing the chances. of interruption of the service with that institution, and at the same time places the Harbour Office and Telegraph Office in communication with each other.

Reclamations both at Hunghom and at North Point rendered it advisable to move the Cable Reserve to a new position somewhat to the eastward of that which it had hitherto occupied where a more favourable line could be obtained. The matter was expedited on account of the Telephone Company proposing to lay a heavy new cable which it would have been very troublesome to take up and relay later. This cable was laid in the new reserve : two cables belonging to the Colonial Government and Military Authorities were taken up and relaid in it and finally two new cables were laid in it by the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company.

New cable huts, containing separate compartments for the differently-owned cables, were constructed on the North and South shores of the harbour, a number of boulders were removed from the landing-places and new posts and obelisks were erected on the shores and adjoining hillsides to define clearly the boundaries of the reserve.

The Government telephone and telegraph lines following the Shaukiwan Road, which were formerly carried on poles belonging to the Military Authorities, were transferred to a new and independent row of iron poles extending from North Point to the New Cable House.