Sessional_Paper_1912 — Page 5

No. 1.

HONGKONG.

REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE

at a Meeting held on the 24th January, 1912.

No. 1912

1

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor, February 27th, 1912.

PRESENT:

The Honourable the Director of Public Works, (WILLIAM CHATHAM, C.M.G.), Chairman.

the Colonial Treasurer, (ALEXANDER MACDONALD THOMSON).

""

Mr. WEI YUK, C.M.G.

Mr. EDWARD Osborne.

11

Mr. CHARLES HENDERSON Ross.

77

Kowloon Market. (C.S.O. 1746/1907.)

The Committee continued their consideration of the questions referred to them which were contained in the following minute by the Colonial Secretary :---

at:-

"You (Director of Public Works) are requested to submit to the Public Works Committee the question of apportioning the responsibility for the delay which has occurred in the erection of the Tsim Sha Tsui Market and for the additional expenditure which has been incurred in connection with it.

On the question of the responsibility for the delay, the following decisions were arrived

(1.) The Committee are of opinion that the time allowed for the completion of

the Contract for the erection of the building, namely, 12 months, was inade- quate and they consider that 18 months would have been a more reasonable time to specify. They recommend that, in future, contractors, when ten- dering, should be required to state within what period they are prepared to complete the work to which their tenders relate.

(2.) The Committee consider that a serious error was made in failing to despatch the indent for steelwork until 9 months after the letting of the Contract for the erection of the building.

(3.) Taking all the circumstances into account, the Committee consider that the Crown Agents and other parties concerned with the execution of the indent were responsible for a part of the delay.

(4.) For the remainder of the delay which occurred, the Committee consider that

the Contractor is solely responsible.