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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
have forwarded the resort, with the observations, Institution under his pati of the Chief Resident Engineer, to the Secretary has been organised. If the of State for communication to the Civil promoters are fully ĉarried out if ! Engineers who are responsibla to this Govern- that I may ask this Connell to mir hi ment for the efficiency of the construction in all crease the subfoription in a future your. technical matters. I have not yet received their reply, and meanwhile I directed work on the bridges to be arrested. It is only fair to the Chief Resident Engineer to add that he is confident that the bridges are sound.
this, geographical position which has converted |
barren rock with a revenue of a few score dollars into the largest port in the world, with a revenue of sixty-seven million dollars and an invested capital in material assets of perhaps thirty or forty million sterling. I will not pursue this subject farther to-day for it is one on which very much could be said, and I have still a good deal to say on other subjects. Moreover, I am still engaged in obtaining precise figures. My object in alluding to it is in order to prove to the unofficial members that no point which has been previously brought forward has failed to receive my most earnest and careful investigation and consideration.
PUBLIC WORKS.
The Pablic Works Department shows a considerable increase mainly due to the effect of the fall in exchange which increases the dollar salaries of the large British staff engaged in this department by $28,841. With the excep- tion of the increase in the Building Authority staff, transferred from the Sanitary Department, of $7,605, and the creation of the posts of two native surveyors at $360 there are no changes of importance. The Public Works revenue shows a decrease in spite of the extensions and extra work on roads, drains, buildings, etc.. which year by year tend to increase the cost of maintenance.
LOANS.
The charges on loan accounts show a large increase, dus partly to the fall in exchange, but principally to our borrowing on account of railway construction. In Appendix 2 will be found an estimate of the cost and a statement of staff.
THE RAILWAY.
I am glad to be able to inform you that much better progress has been made since the date of my speech on the railway by the contractors for the reclamation and heavy cutting between Kowloon and the southern mouth of the tunnel. Mr. Grifio, on behalf of Messrs. Leigh and Orange, has devoted much of his personal time and attention to the work, and good progress has been made with the sea wall and reclamation. | The work on the whole appears to be proceeding approximately at'contract rate, but the initial loss of about five months cannot be made up. This matter is forming the subject of amicable negotiation between the Government and the contractors, and I hope that we shall shortly come to an arrangement whereby the dates of completion shall be extended with reciprocal benefits to the Government and an increased I am convinced that pensity for overtime. this arrangement is the best that can to come to, and it is based on the advice of the hon. Director of Public Works, and is assentel to by the Chief Resident Engineer. From the best information at my disposal, I think I can with some confidence assure you that our section will be open to traffic at least as soon, and probably much sooner than the Capton section which| adjoins ours at Samchun; and 1 hope that a temporary line will be in operation some time before the whole line is finally completed, which will meet all the requirements of local traffic, probably by March 1910. Papers were laid ou the Council table early this year detailing progress to the end of 1907 and a similar report will be submitted at the close of the present year, I am not at present in a position to say anything about the negotiations for a joint work- ing agreement further than that the Chief Resi- dent Engineer are op en to settle such matters as types of rolling stock, points of junction, etc., as demand immediate solution.
HOSPITALS.
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PUBLIC WORKS HYTEAÖRDINÁRY.“ I come now to Public Works Extraordinai The amounts set down for the Law Courts, Po Office, and Typhoon Refuge are as much usi is estimated can be spent during the comin year in pushing forward these works as fast a possible. The sum entered for the last named includes the special fund raised by the increas light dues. The $2,000 provided for the exten sion of the Public Worksoffices will complete that work, as also the sum voted for Kowloon market, which is a remunerative work. The staff quart ters a Taipo will also be completed. The vote for roads in the New Territory, $25,000, "is somewhat increased, and as soon as our financial position allows of it, I hope that we may be still further able to increase this vote. The New Territories yield in all a revenue of upwards of $200,000 exclusive of land sales, and it is only reasonable and just that a fair sum should be spent annually in improving their communios- tions (hear bear) which are exceedingly það. road from Castle We hope to make a Peak Bay to Pingshan on the lines des- cribed in my speech last year, to be id- ened and improved later and extended to Taipo, and ultimately to Shatankok. The need for roade in New Kowloon is not less urgent in order especially that a system of tramways may be started as soon as possible, the extension of Robinson Road and the road crossing it at right angles and giving access to the new rail- way station from Yaumati (Argyll Street) are especially urgent. The amount for raising the level of Des Voeux Road is the same as last This vote is rendered néceɛsary by the year advent of the railway and the new reclamation, and will effect a great improvement. For gullies a sum of only $2,000 is voted as against $10,000 last year, and though it is possible to spend more on such a scheme it may fairly be said that all that is immediately necessary will be completed. The same may be said of the flushing tanks and drain pipes. The forming and ker- bing of streets is a task imposed upon us year by year in consequence of the extension of buildings, and there are streets which must on this Under grants to charitable institutions there account be put in order at Quarry Bay, and Wong- is an increase of $2,000 to the Tang Wah Recmation Street, Kowloon, at
This is to assist the meicheong and elsewhere, and which can no Hospital in Victoria.
The estimate for this institution to extend its sphere of utility. A longer be delayed. large sum has been subsoribed by the Chinese alone is 827,500. Under “training nullahs," comm uunity for the new small pox hospital for the most important and urgent work is exten. which Government has granted a site beyond sion of the nullah in Waterloo Road, Kowloon, I trust that this institution necessitated by the railway. The pier at Green Kennedy to wo, will effect a most valuable service by meeting Island is urgently needed to give access to the prejudice of the Chinese to conveyance of the gunpowder depot; the other can afford to wait. Blake Pier shelter will be completed, as their small-por patients over the water to the " Hygeia," and that it will result in the als› the lbany filer bode, but the Kowloon complete cessation of dumping the corpses of waterworks scheme will still require some addĹ. those who have died of this disease in public tional expenditure. Funds have not admittedTM places, and 83 greatly increasing its preval- of dur beginning the Queen's Statue pier this
towards which
bas 80 much
been year and I regret that it is impossible to done by the institution of street committees. commit ourselves to a work of such magnitude hospital has in the present state of our finances. The Similarly the Tung Wah projectel a scheme for creating a plague dredging of Causeway Bay is a work which I ward as an annexe to this hospital, and from regard as of great importance and urgency. this and the district hospitals and dis- Wejexpect to have spent $4,000 on it by the end pensaries I look for similar results. It is by of this year and $2,00) is provided for next messures such as these that I look for real year which, I am told, is as much as can be reform in sanitation, and by which we shall spent looking to the fact that the work is secure the whole hearted co-operation of the largely tidal and cannot be expenditiously Chinese, and finally remove the fear engender completed. The cost is estimated at about ed by methods which the poorer classes did not $5.00 and it should be completed in 1919). understand, and dreaded more than the disease During the year an opportunity occurred for itself. With the removal of that fear we shall acquiring the buildings at Laickikok which no doubt see a material benefit as well as B had proviously been used as a coolie depôt for moral and administrative one in the rise in South African coolies on extremely advantage- value of house property and the restoration of ousterms. for a quarantine station. The small- confidence. The need of an institution similar por outbreak on the Hong Bee showed the The Chief Resident Engineer reports fair to the Tung Wah Hospital on the other side urgent necessity of having such a station to progress in earth work, but not so good as he of the water has long been greatly felt, and a supersede the system of biring junks on which had hoped, owing to unexpected hardness of substantial subscription has now been raised to isolate contacts. It is, of course, impossible rock and to labour dificulties. He has however to build sad maintain it. We propose to give in such circumstances to detect incipient cases, while the junks become agenta for disseminating now succeeded in letting several large contracts $8,500 per annum towards this project, and as to reliable contractors, and he anticipates a it is anticipated that the hospital will be open infection far and wide, and their crews are
exposed to the disease. Moreover, in case saving on the whole vote. I regret to say that before the end of next year, $1,500 has been
Theonly other typhoon the loss of life might be appalling, I have felt much anxioty regarding the found-provided as our subscription. ations of some of the bridges, sad in order to new grant is Miss Eyre's refuge, a small sum of the infected junks could not be refused shelte reassure myself I appointed the Director of $12) only, which has been set down rather with in crowded refuge. Cases of epidemio disesin Public Works and Mr. Williams, lately in the the object of securing Government supervision on board ships in the harbour are fortunatel obarge of the Naval Dock, as an expert com- than with a view to the actual money value of the rays, and it is fourteen years since the lasă omu mittee to inspect them and report to me, I grant. The Bishop of Victoria has placed this "red. An American friend who was prone
It is estimated that by the end of this year the total expenditure incurred on the railway will have reached the sum of $6,298,075, while the expenditure in 1909 is estimated at $3,280,663, leaving $591,545 for expenditure in 1910 to complete, with the exception of the items not estimated, and of which we can form no estimate until we know our postion in regard to the Canton section. On February 6th last I made a full statement to the Council on the subject of the railway, both in regard to construction and finance, and I invited any questions that honourable members might desire to put to me so that I might afford any additional information in my power. Ap parently my statement was sufficiently explicit and detailed, for no member asked for any additional information. I have not much to add to-day. Progress has been well maintained. The tunnel leading from north and south bas now reached a total of 4,603 feet out of 7,156 or 64 per cent. Progress under the able superintendence of Mr. Waite has till recently been at the rate of nearly ten feet per day. been Latterly, exceedingly hard rock has encountered and this has reduced the rate of progress by about a half, and greatly increased the cost. The chief resident engineer anticipa. tes an excess on the estimated expenditure on the tunnel which will absorb the saving on earth work. I hope that this heading may be through before the middle of next year. The lining, including such portions as do not need to be lined, is computed at 2,340 feet, viz, one half of the distance reached by the heading. At the end of last year the proportion was only one quarter. The tunnel practically began on the 1st January, 1907, and the average progress per week was 5.8 feet, whereas from January let this year the average weekly progress has been 9.76. The proportion of lining to heading at the end of last year was a fourth, and it is now a half. Such difficulty has been experien- ced in number 8 tunnel near Taipo. There, con. tinued land slides undid the work as fast as it was done. This has now been overcome and the work is going on well.
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