116
THE POKFULAM RESERVOIR.
(Daily Press, 80th July.) At the meeting of the Sanitary Board on Thursday Dr. CLAR - suggested that it would shortly become necessary to abandon the Pokfulam reservoir as a source of water supply. The reasons he gave were the conversion of Mount Austin Hotel into a barracks for four hundred soldiers, the increase in the number of houses which are being built at the Peak, and the increased demand for building sites at the Peak. With regard to the first of these reasons, precautions are taken against any of the sewage from the barracks finding its way on to the gathering ground, and we fail to see in what way the barracks can constitute a greater danger than did the hotel. Thus far no pollution has taken place, the Government Analyst certifying the water from month to month to be of excellent quality. With regard to the second and third reasons, no houses are now allowed to be erected in the gather- ing area, so that the second reason is at present non-existent, and whatever demand for building sites may exist will, unless that prohibition is removed, have to be diverted to other portions of the Hill District. With the opening of the new road to Magazine Gap and the Queen's Link connecting Magazine Gap and Wong- neichong Gap there can be no excuse for creating new building sites in the Pokfulam watershed. Nor would there be any excuse even if there were not another building site available anywhere on the heights. At most not more than a dozen or two of villas would be likely to be erected in the area under discussion, and to expose the whole city to the risk of an annually recurring water famine in order to provide a limited number of the wealthier classes with summer re- sidences would be suicidal.
Dr. CLARK dwet on the fact that the present storage of water at Tytam and Pokfulam is only sufficient for a popula- tion of 214,000 and that the population of the city of Victoria is now 200,000 and is increasing at the rate of 6,000 per annum, and yet in face of these figures, which show that in two or three years the water supply will again fall short, we find him recommending the closing of one of the principal reservoirs. It must be borne in mind, also, that in years of deficient rainfall there is a possibility of the quantity of water impounded falling short of the storage capacity. That happened at Tytan only a few years ago, and although the catch- waters which have since been constructed have reduced the risk of its recurrence it is still a contingency to be taken into account. in his report on the water supply, dated May, 1896, the Hon. F. A. COOPER treated very exhaustively of the requirements of the city, present and prospective, and the available sources of supply. The sites available for reservoirs, he said, are few "and, owing to the steepness and narrow- ness of the valleys, do not admit of "the construction of extensive impound- "ing reservoirs." So far from recom- mending the abandonment of Pokfulam reservoir Mr. COOPER'S scheme included increasing the capacity of the present reservoir and the construction of a new and additional reservoir below the site of the present one. There can be little doubt, we think, that within the next few years that portion of Mr. COOPER's scheme will have to be carried into execution. It is certain that the, Pokfulam reservoir cannot possibly be dispensed with so long as the colony is dependent för its water supply
i
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL.
[August 6, 1898.
ou catchment areas; the only condition | departure of the Honorary Secretary, Mr. under which such a course could be taken Stewart Lockhart, somewhat interrupted into consideration would be the obtaining of operations, but the Executive Committee has since held several meetings and visited an amply supple from artesian wells.
sites which were brought to its notice. It has also considered the financial aspect of the scheme under the changed conditions and it is hoped that a decision may be arrived at at an early date. The reply to the remaining part of the question is that the fand has been deposited in the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank in ac- cordance with the honourable member's own resolution passed at the meeting of the Jubilee Committee on 26th April, 1897. The fund is receiving interest at the rate of four per cent. per annum and in accordance with the Honorary Treasurer's statement on 28th February last, the fund at that date amounted to $183,381,38.
A meeting of the Hongkong Legislative Council was Leld in the Council Chamber on 3rd August. Present:-
His EXCELLENCY the ACTING GOVERNOR, Major-General BLACK, C. B. (Officer Command ing the Forces).
Secretary).
Hou. T. SERCOMBE SMITH (Acting Colonial
Hon. W. M. GOODMAN (Attorney-General). Hou. A. M. THOMSON (Acting Colonial Trea. surer).
Hon. R. MURRAY RUMSEY (Harbour Master). Hon. R. D. ORMSBY (Director of Public Works).
intendent of Police).
Hon. F. H. MAY, C.M.G. (Captain Super-
Hon. U, P. CHATER, C.M.G. Hon. Ho KAI.
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD. Hon. J. J. BELL-IRVING. Hon. WEI A YUK.
Mr. J. G. T. BUCKLE (Clerk of Councils).
MINUTES.
FINANCE REPORT.
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY—I have the honour to lay on the table finance report No. 2 and to move its adoption.
The ACTING COLONIAL TREASURER se- conded.
Carried.
VACATIONS IN THE SUPREME COURT.
The ATTORNEY-ĠENERAL-I beg to move the first reading of a Bill for the establishment of vacations in the Supreme Court. To save time in committee I shall be obliged if after the word "time" in section '9 the words "not ex-
read and adopted as a correct record.
The minutes of the previous meeting were ceeding one month " be added.
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY conded.
OPEN SPACES FOR THE PUBLIC.
The Hon. Ho KAI-I beg to give notice that at the next meeting of the Council I will move a resolution to the following effect:
That it is desirable in the interests of the public that the piece of ground situated at British Kowloon known as Sung Wong Tai, together with a certain area of land surround- ing and adjacent thereto, as delineated and marked red on the annexed plan, should not be let for building or other purposes, but should be reserved for the benefit of the public in perpetuity, and that the same should be delineated and marked off and kept in good order by the Public Works Department of this colony."
THE JUBILEE COMMEMORATION WORKS.
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-I beg to ask if the Government will inform the Council what progress has been made with the works decided upon more than 12 months age and which were intended to commemorate permanently the completion of the 60th year's reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, and also state, how the Jubilee Fund is invested and
what rate of interest it is earning?
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY The survey of the road was completed early in June, it having been delayed some weeks by the serious illness of Mr. Hughes, the surveyor, who contracted fever while working in the swamps in Aberdeen. Since then the preparation of calculation of the quantity of work and the the plans-consisting of over 40 sheets the
framing of the estimates, have been in progress and will be completed next week when the Government will be in a position to call for tenders. Without complete plans and detail estimates this could not have been done. An excellent tracing has been laid down. The dis. tance from Shaukiwan to Kennedy Town is a the existing road to the north of the city, a trifle little over 84 miles and round Hongkong,including
over 27 miles, With regard to the Hospital and Nurses' Institute three competitive designs were received and a meeting of the Jubilee Committee was held early in March last for the purpose of considering them with the view of selecting one for execution. In consequence, however, of a letter received from the Principal Civil Medical Officer recommending the purchase of "Craigie-
11
buru and the abandonment of the scheme for
erecting the Hospital on the site originally selected, the whole subject was brought up for further consideration at a subsequent meeting held on 9th Marcb. It was resolved that, "It is desirable to erect a Women's and Children's Hospital on the higher levels and ou a site not lower than Robinson Road and to abandon the idea of building on the present Civil Hospital site. An Executive Committee was also appointed to draw up a scheme in accord ance with the foregoing resolution. The
Carried.
80-
THE NATURALISATION OF CHINESE, The second and third readings of the Bill entitled an Ordinance for the Naturalisation of Chau Tung Shang, were passed, and also the second and third readings of the Bill entitled
an Ordinance for the Naturalisation of Tong Yuk, alias Tong Lai Ts'un.
THE KOWLOON GODOWNS TRAMWAYS. Hon. J. J. BELL IRVING- I have the hon. our to move the second reading of the Bill entitled an Ordinance to amend the Kowloon
Godowns Tramways Ordinance, 1897. It is stated at the foot of this Bill that the amend- ments contained in this Ordinancere made by direction of the Secretary of State for the Colonies and are similar to the provisions of the corresponding sections in Ordinance number 19 of 1884. There is no objection to this measure on behalf of the Kongkong and Kow- loon Wharf and Godown Company.
The Hon. C. P. CHATER seconded, The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-In supporting the second reading of this measure, I may say that the piers, wharves, and tramways of the Hongkong and Kowloon Wharf and Go- down Company, Limited, were originally con structed under Ordinance 19 of 1884. As their business increased it became necessary to make additional tramway accommodation, and fresh powers were conferred by Ordinance No. 18 of the lines of the Ordinance No. 19 of 1884, with 1887. That Ordinance was drawn up mainly on
some few modifications of that Ordinance, Mr. Chater in the latter Ordinance being authorised to make rules and regulations for the use and due maintenance of the wharves, piers, and tram- ways connected therewith. When I was draw- ing up the Ordinance which it is now sought to amend I considered whether that power Public Works and myself considered it was not should be put in, and the late Director of
necessary, because we thought it was chiefly ne- cessitated on account of the piers and wharves which were required to be made in accordance with the provisions of the Ordinance. We thought the addition of a few small tramway lines would hardly require further regulations and rules. When we came to the words "under the superintendence and to the satisfaction of the Director of Public Works we thought they were not necessary. The Secretary of State, however, thought the words should be added, and we are quite willing that they should be added, and have accordingly carried out the directions of the Secretary of State.
The Council then went into committee to consider the Bill clause by clause.
No alteration was made, and on the Council resuming the Bill was read a third time, on the motion of the ATTORNEY GENERAL, seconded by the Hon. C. P. CHATER.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.