ENG-1960 — Page 262

212

PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

works programme. Where for exceptional reasons villages cannot supply or hire labour from their own resources, District Officers may let contracts for the entire work. For larger or more complex jobs the entire work may be handled by the New Territories Engineering Unit which is under the supervision of an engineer seconded from the Public Works Department. This self-help scheme started in a small way after the war. For the first ten years or so the Government spent about $40,000 a year, whilst the main brunt of the work was borne by the Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Association. In 1958 the Government assumed responsibility for the majority of local public works, with funds which were increased to $420,000 in 1958-9, and to $1 million in each financial year since.

During 1960 villagers completed many such jobs as pathways, van tracks, drainage channelling, bunds, kerbs, irrigation_channel- ling, dams, wells, bridges, playgrounds and piers. One of the most popular scheme is the installation of piped water supplies from intakes or small dams or wells in the nearby hills and fields and piping is regularly supplied for this.

The New Territories Engineering Unit is still recruiting its staff and gathering its transport and equipment. Nevertheless a start was made during the year with six contracts, including a footpath on Cheung Chau, three bridges in the Yuen Long District, and two aqua-privies as part of a programme of improving village sanitation.

11

PUBLIC UTILITIES

Electricity. In December 1959 Government received the report of a Commission which had been appointed under the chairman- ship of Mr John Mould, OBE, AMIEE, to inquire into the question of control of the electricity undertakings. Their report recom- mended that because of the difficulty of reconciling the conflicting interests of shareholder and consumer a form of public ownership should be introduced. The two companies asked that Government should take no action until they had prepared and submitted alternative proposals of their own, and this was agreed. These proposals, received at the end of October, suggested, among other things, that dividends and profits retained for investment should