ENG-1949 — Page 152

safeguarded from theft and damage. The Railway Police have also rendered effective assistance to ticket-checking staff on numerous occasions which has resulted in increased

revenue.

Rehabilitation of property and renewal of tracks have proceeded steadily, and supplies from the United Kingdom have been received with greater regularity at the close of the year.

The valuable liaison services performed by the London Office of the Hong Kong Government have materially assisted towards this end.

ROADS

The building and maintenance of roads in Hong Kong are subject to unusual topographical and climatic difficulties. Most of the Colony is hilly and the construction of a new road usually involves considerable blasting operations, but fortunately the rock thus blasted is suitable for use as road metal. Heavy downpours of rain in the summer months are sufficient to cause grave damage to any road surface which falls short of a high standard of maintenance and further rains are liable to make repairs difficult and expensive. A sum of $307,000 was spent in 1949 in making good damage caused by rains to road cuttings and embankments. In spite of these difficulties the populated areas of the Colony are reasonably well served with roads. Within the 391 square miles of the Colony there are over 400 miles of roads, 173 miles being on the island, 106 miles in Kowloon and the remainder in the New Territories. About 90% of these roads are of modern metalled construction.

The output of stone from Hok Un Quarry has been maintained and amounted to 51,000 tons during the year and the new quarry at Hung Shui Kiu has been useful in supplying some of the stone for New Territories roads. The contract for Morrison Hill Quarry was extended for the year, and the plant for the quarry at Tsat Tze Mui has arrived and its installation is now in hand.

Many of the roads deteriorated badly as a result of neglect during the Japanese

Japanese occupation and the large number of vehicles at present in the Colony, about double the prewar number, provided an added burden on the already weakened surface. Causeway Road widening was completed, many side streets were resurfaced, and the reconstruction of sections of the main streets in the centre of the City was begun. Some progress was made in the restoration of street lighting. New traffic signs in accordance with the new traffic regulations were installed.

The scope

of the work carried out on the mainland during the past year has been varied and intensive. In Kowloon major

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