Sessional_Paper_1924 — Page 103

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HONGKONG.

No. 13

THE ERECTION ON EXISTING FOUNDATIONS OF BONHAM ROAD SCHOOL.

CONTRACT NO. 42 of 1923. CONTRACTOR: MESSRS. KIN LEE & Co.

Quarterly Report ending 30th September, 1924.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency

the Governor on the 3rd November, 1924.

1924

The contract for the above building was signed on the 11th of April last and until recently the work has been seriously delayed by the difficulty of obtaining facing bricks in sufficient quantities. Within the limits which this difficulty enforced the contractor has made every effort by the erection of workshops, preparation of frames and joinery, etc. to carry on with the work. Orders were placed for facing bricks with manufacturers in Canton and Amoy and although regular delivery in sufficient quantities was promised to the contractor small consignments only of from 5,000 to 10,000 were delivered at long intervals and, during the first five months of the contract time a total of about 40,000 only were delivered out of 600,000 required. It was clearly impossible to rely on these sources of supply any longer.

Early in September enquiries were made and samples obtained by the Architectural Office from local agents for the supply of Formosa bricks and the contractor entered into a contract with the Mitsui Bussan Kaisha for the supply of 600,000 facing bricks. The first half of this quantity was delivered on the 22nd September, the bricks were of good quality and colour and well packed in straw, the balance will be delivered when required at one month's notice. The contractor immediately placed a large staff of bricklayers on the work and already considerable progress has been made.

The next three months should produce a complete change in the progress of the building.

7th October, 1924.

HAROLD T. CREASY,

Director of Public Works.