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QUARTERING AUTHORITY ANNUAL REPORT FOR
1948/49.
REQUISITIONING:
1. The number of "units" held under requisition by Government and the Services was reduced from 115 to 80 by derequisitioning. These remaining 80 units were divided between Government and the Services as follows:-
2.
Navy 3, Army 73, Royal Air Force 15, Government 54.
Certain premises which had been left vacant for some time were requisitioned by Government as a means of relieving the housing shortage. These premises were allocated to deserving members of the general public by a Committee appointed by His Excellency the Governor. In all 50 families were accommodated in this manner. In addition the premises of the Ts'en Ho Bank which had been left vacant for 12 months were requisitioned to accommodate
Government Offices (Exchange Control and
Custodian of Property).
HOUSING:
3. The shortage of domestic accommodation remained acute in spite of extensive new building by private enterprise. The permanent Hong Kong resident has not benefitted to any great extent by this new building as he has been in general unable to afford to buy or lease the new or reconditioned property put on the market, the greater part of which has gone to wealthy immigrants.
4.
The amount of building under construction by the end of the year was so considerable, however, that in spite of the large number of wealthy persons still entering the Colony there should be a marked easing of the situation unless anything unforeseen
occurs.
CONTROL OF HOTELS:
5. Large numbers of permanent residents are still compelled to live in hotels owing to the housing shortage. In July an attempt was made to control hotel rates for their benefit by means of the Emergency Regulations. This attempt was, however, abandoned and an Advisory Committee was appointed to advise Government on what measures should be taken to control hotel rates. This Committee reported in December 1948, and as a result the Hotels Ordinance, 1949, and The Hotel Regulations, 1949, came into effect on 1st March, 1949. The only departure from the Committee's recommendations in this legislation is the introduction of the term "Hong Kong Resident". The aim and
( 4 )
object of this Ordinance is to compel the hotels to make their contribution towards solving the housing problem for permanent residents. Twenty-four hotels are required to reserve 813 rooms for the accommodation of Hong Kong residents at controlled rates, the percentage of rooms to be so reserved varying from 10% to 100% according to the degree to which any particular hotel is "residential". The Regulations are working smoothly and have undoubtedly made it easier for the man in permanent employment in Hong Kong to obtain a room at a price which he can afford to pay.
OFFICE ACCOMMODATION:
6. Government Offices are still dispersed and to a consider- able extent housed in requisitioned or rented premises. The departments which must be centrally situated are now accommo- dated in 10 different buildings, only 5 of which are the property of Government.
7. In the course of the year, stone buildings of a temporary type were erected to house the greater part of the Public Works Department. This enabled Government to derequisition 6,000 sq. ft. of office space.
GOVERNMENT QUARTERS (NON-DEPARTMENTAL):
8. During the year 29 five-roomed flats and 8 four-roomed flats were built, and 25 four-roomed flats were leased for 5 years. The number of quarters was thus increased from 90 to 152. In addition, 6 requisitioned flats were transferred from the Services to Government and were allocated to the Royal Observatory and Civil Aviation Departments. As a result the number of officers accommodated in hotels and hostels was reduced by the end of the year to 211, 82 of whom had wives in the Colony (25 with children).
GOVERNMENT HOSTELS:
9. The majority of single officers appear to prefer hostel accommodation to sharing a flat with another officer. During the year the hostel accommodation was increased by the opening of the Arlington Hostel in July. These premises are requisitioned and were transferred to Government from the Royal Air Force. Bethanie and the French Mission Hostels were derequisitioned in January and three new hostels were opened to take their place: Buxey Lodge (requisition transferred from Navy), The Hermitage (leased for 5 years), and Sunning Court (leased for 5 years). Sunning Court is a temporary hostel, accommodated in 9 flats, and will be closed down as soon as more suitable accommodation is available. At the end of the year the 6 Government Hostels were accommodating 69 single and 36 married officers (12 with children).
STAFF:
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10. During the year the office staff was increased by two: One Executive Grade Class I Officer and an additional Woman Confidential Assistant. Mr. P. F. J. Eardley acted as Quartering Authority from May to October during the absence ou leave of Mr. R. S. W. Paterson 0.B.E., M.C. Mr. A. St. G. Walton was seconded from the Education Department in December 1948 and assumed duty as Quartering Authority on 1st February 1949, on which date Mr. Paterson returned to his post in the Public Works Department.
A. ST. G. WALTON, Quartering Authority.
TABLE I.
LIST OF PROPERTIES HELD UNDER REQUISITION ON 31.3.49.
NAVY (3).
Address.
1/3 Magazine Gap Road (Grenville House), Hong Kong.
Unit.
1
1
168 Boundary Street, Kowloon.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
14 Hart Avenue, Kowloon, 1st Floor Right.
ARMY (71).
Garages Nos. 8, 9 & 10 Broom Road, Hong Kong.
1 Broom Road, Hong Kong.
17/23 Conduit Road, Hong Kong.
39 (& 41) Macdonnell Road, Hong Kong.
N.K.I.L. 608 Kilung Street, Kowloon.
N.K.I.L. 601, 607, 1104 Tai Nam Street, Kowloon.
1
3-4 Minden Row, Kowloon.
113 Austin Road, Kowloon.
ROYAL AIR FORCE (15).
1 1 Calder Path, Hong Kong.
A AY Q CO –
1
1 Po Shan Road, Hong Kong.
4
130, 132, 134, 136 Argyle Street, Kowloon.
2
138 & 140 Argyle Street, Kowloon.
6
154, 156, 158, 160, 162,
158, 160, 162, & 164 Argyle Street, Kowloon.
1
320 Prince Edward Road, Kowloon,
(6)
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT (541).
Department.
14 & 16 King's Road, Hong Kong. Police.
2
1
Oriental Building, Hong Kong.
Police.
1
S.I.L. 566, 383 Shaukiwau Road,
Police.
Shaukiwan, Hong Kong.
1
167/169 Boundary Street,
Police.
Kowloon.
1
173 Boundary Street, Kowloon.
Police.
1
Castle Peak, Red Roof House,
Police.
Kowloon.
1
288 Ma Tau Wai Road, Kowloon.
Police.
1
268 Prince Edward Road,
Police.
Kowloon.
1
357/9 Prince Edward Road,
Police.
Kowloon.
357 (Ground & 1st Floor).
359 (Ground Floor).
1
White Bungalow, Shatin, N.T.
Police.
1
Sai Kung Police Station
Police.
(Lee Shui Shang's house).
1
Rooms 101-113, Hong Kong Bank Medical.
Building.
1
King's Building (Port Health
Medical.
Office, Births & Deaths),
Hong Kong.
1 185 Wanchai Road, Old Majima
Medical.
Hospital.
1
90/2 Waterloo Road, Kowloon.
Medical.
1
Medical.
Post Office.
Lot No. 3532, Corner of Yat Sen Street, Unlong, N.T., 1st floor.
1 7, Taipo Road (1st & ground
floors), Kowloon.
Rooms 201, 225/232, 234/239 Glou- Broadcasting.
cester Building, Hong Kong.
Gloucester Building, Hong Kong.
15
1
Basement under East Arcade,
Broadcasting.
1309/316 Windsor House,
Education.
1 130 Hollywood Road, Hong Kong.
Education.
1
Education.
Education.
Education.
20 1
Hong Kong.
26 Kennedy Road, Hong Kong. 28 Kennedy Road, Hong Kong. 610/612 Nathan Road, Kowloon.
I
( 7 )
St. George's Building, 3rd floor. Mercantile Bank Building,
1st & 3rd floors.
304/5A & 316 Hong Kong Bank
Building.
1
1
1
745/7 Nathan Road, Kowloon,
1
301/308 Windsor House.
1
Tsen Ho Bank, Hong Kong.
111 Austin Road, Kowloon.
1
165 Argyle Street, Kowloon.
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
82 Macdonnell Road, Hong Kong.
Room 235, Hong Kong Bank
Building.
236B, 237/8 Hong Kong Bank
Building.
37 Conduit Road, Hong Kong. Arlington Hotel, Mody Road,
Kowloon.
126/8 Argyle Street, Kowloon, 5B & 5C Broom Road (1st & 2nd
floors) and Garages Nos. 3 & 4.
Department.
P.W.D.
S. T. & I.
Fire Brigade. R. & V.
Exchange Control. D.R.O. & D.C.A. D.R.O. & D.C.A.
D.S.0.
D.S.O. Q.A.
Q.A. (Office).
Q.A. (Hostel). Q.A. (Hostel).
Q.A. (Qrs.).
Q.A. (Qrs.).
LIST OF PROPERTIES REQUISITIONED ON 31.10.48 FOR ALLOCATION TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC (25).
Unit.
Address.
14 Caroline Road.
87 Lockhart Road, Top Floor.
1
1
]
89
13
1
91
1
93
1
12
1
3
19 Mosque Junction.
157 Pratas Street (Ground-First-& Second Floors).
3
159
11
}}
3
161
14
**
3
163
}}
**
**
3
165
95
,,
ま
3
167
}}
J
11
1
12 Soares Avenue.
LIST OF PROPERTIES REQUISITIONED ON 10.3.49 FOR ALLOCATION TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC (7).
Address.
50 Village Road, Ground Floor.
521 Queen's Road, West, Ground Floor.
Unit.
1
1
3
1
1
69 Jervois Street, Ground Floor.
6 Babbington Path, Ground-1st & 2nd Floors.
7 Hillwood Road, 1st Floor, Kowloon.
(8)
TABLE II.
LIST OF HOTELS CONTROLLED BY THE HOTELS
ORDINANCE, 1949.
Name of Hotel
No. of Rooms reserved for
Hong Kong Residents
Percentage
of total accommodation
1. Hong Kong Hotel
12
2. Gloucester Hotel
31
20
20
3. Peninsula Hotel
233
80
4. Repulse Bay Hotel
77
80
5. Arlington Hotel
27
90
6. Harbour View Hotel
76
90
7. Melbourne Hotel
73
90
8. Ritz Hotel
36
90
9. Presbyterian Mission
20
90
10. Lyton House
60
90
11. Melbourne Apartments
31
70
12. Ritz Apartments
20
70
13. Lucky Apartments
21
100
14. Tuk Lin Apartments
22
100
15. Cecil Hotel
9
20
16. Good View Hotel
5
20
17. Kimberley Hotel
5
20
18. Kowloon Hotel
19
20
19. Metropole Hotel
6
20
20. Union Hotel
5
21. Star Hotel
22. Tavern Hotel
23. Rose Hotel
24. Waldorf Hotel
8
Total
813 rooms
7377
7
22222
20
20
20
20
20
( 9 )
TABLE III.
ACCOMMODATION IN GOVERNMENT HOSTELS.
Accommodating
No. of Rooms
Name of Hostel
Single
Double
married couples/single officers or both.
Arlington Hostel The Hermitage Macdonnell Road
Hostel
6
26
Married & Single.
11
18
Single.
7
6
Married.
Matilda Hostel
3
6
Married.
Buxey Lodge
16
Sunning Court
21
Single, Single.
Total
71
38
TABLE IV,
NUMBERS OF OFFICERS IN HOTELS & HOSTELS ON 31.3.49.
Male Officers
Female Officers
Wives
HOTELS
81
7
45
18
12
HOSTELS
82
23
36
13
12
22
NW
32
24
(Government)
HOSTELS
17
1
1
1
1
(non-Government)
Total
180
31
82
32
25
56
Children
Officers with Children
Married Couples without Children
( 10 )
TABLE V.
LIST OF NON-DEPARTMENTAL GOVERNMENT QUARTERS
ACCORDING TO GRADES.
No. of Quarters.
GRADE “A”
407, 152, 154, 157, 275, 276, 534, 556, 557, 557A The Peak
10
25, Shouson Hill
1
19, Homuntin Hill
1
GRADE "B"
Peak Pavilions
"On Lee". Pokfulam
>
"Mirador", Deep Water Bay
155, 156, 406, 361, 150A, B, C,
151B, C, The Peak
Leighton Hill
5B, 5C, Broom Road
1
1
9
17
10
2
16, Homuntin Hill
12, 17, Branksome Towers
1
2
St. Joan's Court, Flat 42
1
GRADE "C"
Victoria Flats
4
Leighton Hill
8
126, 128, Argyle Street (A, B, C)
6
45, Kadoorie Avenue
1
1-4, Epworth Lodge
4
GRADE "D"
"Courtlands"
1-14, Ventris Road
HII
11
14
GRADE “E”
1, Victoria Flats
97/131 Wongneichong Road 1A, B, Minden Row "Chiselhurst" 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 Sunning Court
(ground, 1st, 2nd & 3rd floors) 34, 36, Dina House
Total
1
18
2
25
2
152 quarters
TABLE VI.
NUMBERS OF QUARTERS AND ESTIMATED NUMBER OF OFFICERS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR THESE QUARTERS ON 31.3.49.
QUARTERS
Quarters
Grade
Govern- ment Property
Leased Ex-Enemy
Requisi- tioned
Total
Officers Estimated Eligible
to Apply
for These
Remarks
( 11 )
B
< A U
A
12
2
14
25
Does not include 2 officers housed
departmentally.
36
3
1
2
42
61
Does not include 5 officers housed
departmentally.
12
5
6
23
79
Does not include 11 officers housed
departmentally.
D
26
26
164
Does not include 12 officers housed
departmentally.
E
18
27
2
47
67
Does not include 19 officers housed
departmentally.
Total:
104
37
3
8
152
396
Note: 1. Police Department not included in above figures.
2. "D" Grade Quarters include 9 Sunning Court Flats being used as a Hostel.