PRICE: $ 1
ANNUAL
DEPARTMENTAL
REPORTS
1953-54
QUARTERING AUTHORITY
HONG KONG
ANNUAL DEPARTMENTAL REPORT
BY THE
QUARTERING AUTHORITY
FOR THE
FINANCIAL YEAR 1953-54
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY THE GOVERNMENT PRINTER,
HONG KONG.
L
+
7
MARINE DEPARTMENT LIBRARY
REQUISITIONING
OFFICE ACCOMMODATION
CONTENTS
ACCOMMODATION (RESIDENTIAL) FOR GOVERNMENT
OFFICERS:
(a) Non-departmental Quarters
(b) Departmental Quarters
(c) Hostels
(d) Hotels
(e) Private Tenancies
STAFF
TABLE I List of non-departmental quarters according to grades, as on 31st March, 1954.
TABLE II Numbers of non-departmental quar- ters and estimated numbers of officers
eligible to apply for them on 31st March, 1954.
TABLE III Numbers of officers in hotels and
hostels on 31st March, 1954.
TABLE IV
Numbers of officers in tenancies on 31st March, 1954.
private
Paragraphs
1
2
- 6
7
- 8
+
9
p
10
11
12
13
-
15
16
18
•
19
1.
REQUISITIONING
For the purposes of this Report, requisitioning is dealt with under four heads:
(A) Property Requisitioned during the 1945/6
Military Administration.
At the end of last year a total of 48 units was held under requisition, divided between Government and the Services as follows:
Royal Navy 2, Army 9, R.A.F. 10,
Government 263.
During the year under revision 5-5/6 units have been derequisitioned by Government and 1 unit by the Army thus reducing the total to 41%. The position at the end of the year was as follows:
Royal Navy 2,
Army 8,
R.A.F. 10,
Government 20.
(B) Property Requisitioned by Government to relieve the housing shortage.
No further requisitioning for this purpose has taken place. One unit was derequisitioned during the year under review and the total now held under requisition has been reduced to 28.
(C) Property Requisitioned by Government since the
Military Administration.
At the end of last year there were 11 units held under requisition. During this year 2 units (one ex-enemy property) were purchased by Government thereby reducing the number of units held under requisition to 9.
1
(D) Property Requisitioned for the Services since
1st May 1949.
A total of 183 units were held under requisition at the end of last year. These units were divided between the
Services as follows:-
Royal Navy 6, Army 131,
R.A.F. 46.
During the present year 10 units were requisitioned for the Army and 2 units derequisitioned for the Army making a net increase of 8 units. The total of 191 units is divided between the Services as follows:
Royal Navy 6,
Army 139, R.A.F. 46.
OFFICE ACCOMMODATION
2. The demand for additional office accommodation continued during the year under review and every effort was made to meet this demand.
3. The completion of the first section of the Central Government Offices proved a very welcome relief, for the Colonial Secretariat and some sections of the Public Works Department were able to vacate the old Colonial Secretariat Building and occupy space in the new Central Government Offices, whilst accommodation was also made available for the Legal Department. Negotiations for the purchase of the French Mission Building were completed towards the end of last year, and following alteration and renovation it was allocated to the Education Department for use as its central administrative office and began to function as such as from the beginning of this year.
4. The following additional accommodation was also leased during the year:-
(a) No. 9 Ice House Street, 2nd floor, Hong Kong,
(approximately 4330 square feet)
Allocated to the Department of Commerce & Industry for its Supplies Division.
2
(b) Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank Building, No. 664
Nathan Road, 3rd floor, Mongkok, Kowloon,
(approximately 2934 square feet)
Allocated to the Labour Department and the Urban Services Department.
(c) Princess Theatre Building, No. 130 Nathan Road, 2nd
floor, Kowloon,
(approximately 753 square feet)
Allocated to the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs.
5. During the year it was also found possible to afford some measure of relief to the following departments either by allocation of additional space or transfer to new accom- modation:
& Valuation
(a) Rating
Department.
(b) Essential Services Corps.
Civil Aid Services. Manpower Directorate.
1 section of Police Force.
(c) Central Registry, Births & Deaths Office, Medical Department.
(d) Inland Revenue Depart-
ment.
(c) Treasury.
6. A number of other minor
Transferred to Post Office Building.
All transferred to Leighton House.
Transferred to King's Building.
Allocated additional space in Windsor House.
Allocated space in No. 657 Nathan Road for opening of a new Kow- loon office.
allocations and transfers
were made during the year to meet wishes of various departments.
3
ACCOMMODATION (RESIDENTIAL) FOR
GOVERNMENT OFFICERS
Non-departmental Quarters.
7.
At the beginning of the year 302 quarters were avail- able. An additional 15 were acquired during the year, 3 returned to their owners and 1 allocated as a departmental quarter, so the total number available at the end of the year was 313. Details of those acquired, returned to owners and that allocated as a departmental quarter are as follows:
Acquired.
'B' grade flat. Released by the Army.
151C The Peak, (Homestead) 7 King's Park, Kowloon
97C Waterloo Road, Kowloon ... 6 Macdonnell Road, Hong Kong 32B Braga Circuit, Kowloon 26 Homuntin Street, Kowloon 255 Prince Edward Road,
Kowloon
Totol
1
1
'C'
"
"1
>>
1
'C'
Leased.
6
'C'
flats.
""
4 'CD' "}
1 'E'
flat.
""
""
1 'E'
""
19
**
15
Returned to owners.
"Mirador", Deep Water Bay,
Hong Kong
5 Epworth Lodge, Hong Kong 165 Argyle Street, 1st floor,
Kowloon
Total
1 'A' grade house.
1
'B'
flat.
"
1 'C'
3
"}
7.
Allocated as a Departmental Quarter
to the Police Force.
76 Kimberley Road, Kowloon 1 'D' grade flat.
8. A complete list of non-departmental quarters avail- able at the end of the year is given in Table I of this report, while Table II gives the number of non-departmental quarters together with the estimated number of officers who were eligible to apply for them.
4
Departmental Quarters.
9. Departments such as the Police Force, Prisons, Medical etc. have a considerable number of quarters allocated to them for use of officers in the departments who by the very nature of their duties have to reside in close proximity to their work. These quarters are allocated by the heads of the various departments and are known as 'departmental quarters' as opposed to 'non-departmental quarters' referred to in para- graphs 7 and 8 above which are allocated by the Quarters Allocation Committee. The number of quarters, which varied from 'A' grade down to 'L' grade, allocated to these departments as at the end of the year was as follows:
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry Civil Aviation Department
Department of Commerce & Industry Civil Aid Services
Education Department
Fire Brigade
21 quarters
32
""
5
"}
1
113
51
""
Government House
6
"
Kowloon Canton Railway
187
Marine Department
37
""
Medical Department
118
District Administration, New Territories
15
"}
Police Force
916
"
Post Office
8
Prisons Department
216
">
Public Works Department
105
Royal Observatory
8
""
Royal Hong Kong Defence Force
2
""
Secretariat for Chinese Affairs
1
Social Welfare Office
12
"
Stores Department
10
""
Supreme Court
3
"
Urban Services Department
296
"}
10. In addition to the above departmental quarters most departments had a number of 'barrack' type quarters for accommodating various sections of their lower paid staff who are "on call".
LA
5
Hostels.
11. The Arlington Hostel, which was used primarily for married officers, was closed down on the 20th August, 1953, and then de-requisitioned and returned to the owner. The three remaining Government hostels, i.e. "Buxey Lodge" and No. 46 Macdonnell Road for single men, and the "Hermitage" for single women, were kept fully occupied during the year. The two former properties continued to be held under requisition but the latter was purchased by Government on the closing day of the last financial year. A small number of officers continued to be accommodated in non-Government hostels such as the Y.M.C.A., Helena May Institute etc.
12. Table III gives the number of officers accommodated in both Government and non-Government hostels as at the end of the year.
Hotels.
13. The necessity for accommodating officers in hotels increased during the year for as against the previous year's highest figure at any one stage of 84 (46 single, 38 married, of whom, 18 had children) the figure of 107 (60 single, 47 married, of whom 24 had children) was reached during the year under review, or an increase of 27%. The lowest figure recorded during the year was 54 (36 single, 18 married, of whom, 3 had children) and this was an increase of exactly 100% over the lowest figure reached in the previous year.
14. The cost of accommodating officers in hotels and non- Government hostels during the year amounted to $887,524.07 as against the previous year's figure of $609,342.63.
15. Table III gives the number of officers accommodated in hotels as at the end of the financial year.
Private Tenancies.
16. Private tenancies, which refer to non-Government quarters rented privately by officers themselves but for which they draw an allowance from Government, increased from 34
6
at the end of the previous year to 57 at the end of this year. The allowances paid by Government in respect of these private tenancies amounted to $402,641.24 for the year as against $114,980.08 for the previous year.
17. Government's continued support of private tenancies proved a welcome relief to those officers who for various reasons failed to obtain a Government quarter and did not wish to accept the alternative of residing in a hotel.
18. Table IV gives the number of officers accommodated in private tenancies at the end of the financial year.
STAFF
19. Mr. H. R. J. Woulfe Flanagan proceeded on vacation leave on the 19th November, 1953, and I assumed the post of Quartering Authority with effect from that date.
E. L. STRANGE,
Quartering Authority.
7
t-
TABLE I
List of Non-Departmental Quarters according to Grades, as on 31st March, 1954.
GRADE "A"
Address
No. of Quarters
Brief Description
152, 153, 154 The Peak (Homestead
Houses)
3
6-room houses
157 The Peak, "Homedale"
1
7-room house
275 & 276 The Peak
2
7-room houses
361 The Peak, "The Bracket"
1
5-room house
406 The Peak, "Inverdee"
1
4-room bungalow
407 The Peak, Severn Road
1
4-room house
534 The Peak, Magazine Gap
1
6-room house
556 The Peak, Middle Gap
1
5-room house
Queen's Gardens (Nos. 4, 6, 8, 10, 12,
18, 20, 22, 24, 26)
10
5-room flats
Queen's Gardens (Nos. 5, 7, 9, 11, 13,
17, 19, 21, 23, 25)
10
4-room flats
45 Shouson Hill
1
5-room house
Total
32
GRADE "B"
Albany Flats (Nos. 1-5, 7-10, 12-14)
12 & 17 Branksome Towers
16 Homuntin Hill Road
150A, B, C & 151B & C, The Peak,
(Homestead Flats)
12
4-room flats
2
3/4-room flats
1
6-room house
LA
5
5-room flats
155 & 156 The Peak
(Homestead
Houses)
2
5-room houses
403 The Peak, Severn Road (Bottom &
Top floors)
2
4-room flats
8
TABLE I-Contd.
Address
No. of Quarters
Brief Description
404 The Peak, Severn Road (Bottom &
Top floors)
2
4-room flats
405 The Peak, Severn Road (Bottom &
Top floors)
2
4-room flats
1-9 & 11 Peak Pavilions
10
10
5-room flats
Queen's Gardens (Nos. 2 & 16)
2
5-room flats
Queen's Gardens (Nos. 1, 3 & 15)
Total
CYA
I
3
4-room flats
43
GRADE "C"
126 & 128 Argyle Street (Ground, 1st &
2nd floors)
6
5-room flats
165 Argyle Street, Ground floor
1
5-room flat
5B Broom Road
1
5-room flat
9 & 18 Burnside Estate
2
5-room flats
11, 14, 19, 21, 22 & 24 Burnside Estate
6
4-room flats
Epworth Lodge (Nos. 1-4)
4
3-room flats
King's Park (Nos. 1-12)
12
4-room flats
Leighton Hill (Nos. 1, 14, 15, 17, 19,
21, 23 & 25)
8
4-room flats
Leighton Hill (Nos. 2-13, 16, 18, 20,
24 & 26)
17
5-room flats
6 Macdonnell Road (Flats Nos. 4-9) 270 The Peak (Ground, 1st & 2nd
floors)
6
3-room flats
3
3-room flats
271 The Peak (Ground & 1st floors)
2
...
3-room flats
557A The Peak, Middle Gap
1
2-room flat
557B The Peak, Middle Gap
2 & 3 Victoria Flats
1
3-room flat
2
3-room flats
4 & 5 Victoria Flats
2
4-room flats
97C Waterloo Road, Ground Floor
1
5-room flat
Total
75
9
TABLE I-Contd.
GRADE "CD"
Address
No. of Quarters
Brief Description
32B Braga Circuit (Ground, 1st, 2nd &
3rd floors)
4
4-room flats
19 Homuntin Hill Road (Ground & 1st
floors)
2
4-room flats
King's Park (Nos. 13-20, 23-31, 33-39,
41-48)
32
4-room flats
Ventris Road (Nos. 1, 4-14)
12
5-room houses
1 Victoria Flats
1
2-room flat
Total .....
51
GRADE “D”
111 Austin Road (Top floor)
1
4-room flat
"Courtlands" (Nos. 3D, 3F, 3H, 5B, 5F,
5H)
6
4-room flats
Cox's Path (Nos. 1-6)
6
5-room houses
1 Garden Terrace, 1st floor
1
3-room flat
251 & 252 The Peak
2
3-room bungalows
Total
16
GRADE "E"
Austin Avenue (No. 20-2nd, 3rd & 4th
floors)
3
4-room flats
Austin Avenue (No. 20A-3rd & 4th
floors)
2
4-room flats
Austin Avenue (No. 24-3rd floor)
1
4-room flat
Austin Avenue (No. 24A-3rd & 4th
floors)
2
4-room flats
Carnarvon Road (Nos. 6B & 6D)
2
2-room flats
*Cornwall Street (Nos. 2 & 3)
2
2-room bungalows
*Cornwall Street (No. 1)
1
3-room bungalow
"Courtlands" (Nos. 3A, 3C, 3E, 3G, 5A,
5C, 5E, 5G)
00
8
3-room flats
* "E" grade for rent purposes only.
10
TABLE I-Contd.
Address
No. of Quarters
Brief Description
Hoi Ping Road (Nos. 4 & 6-1st, 2nd &
3rd floors)
6
4-room flats
Hoi Ping Road (Nos. 12—1st, 2nd, 3rd &
4th floors)
4
4-room flats
26 Homantin Street, 2nd floor
1
4-room flat
Minden Row (Nos. 1A & 1B)
2
3-room flats.
*Mount Nicholson (Nos. 1-12, 24 & 25) 14
2-room bungalows
*Mount Nicholson (Nos. 13-22)
10
3-room bungalows
255 Prince Edward Road, Ground floor
1
3-room flat
Sunning Road (Nos. 3 & 5-1st, 2nd &
3rd floors)
6
4-room flats
Wongneichong Road (Nos. 97, 107, 109, 111, 113, 115, 117, 119, 121, 123, 125, 127, 129 & 131)
14
5-room houses
Wongneichong Road (Nos. 99, 101, 103
& 105)
4
4-room houses
Total
83
GRADE "F"
Carnarvon Road (Nos. 6A & 6C)
2
2-room flats
"Courtlands" (Nos. 31 & 51)
2
3-room flats
Hoi Ping Road (Nos. 4 & 6-Ground
floors)
2
4-room flats
Hoi Ping Road (No. 14-Ground, 1st,
2nd & 3rd floors)
4
4-room flats
Sunning Road (Nos. 7 & 9-Ground
floors)
2
4-room flats
Total
12
GRADE “G”
Marble Hall Lodge, 1 Conduit Road......
1
1-room flat
Total
Grand Total
1
313 quarters
* "E" grade for rent purposes only.
11
TABLE II
NUMBERS OF NON-DEPARTMENTAL QUARTERS AND ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF OFFICERS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR THEM ON 31ST MARCH, 1954.
Grade of Govt. Quarters
Leased
Property
Ex- Enemy
Requis- itioned
Married
Total No. Estimated No. of Offi-
of Quarters
cers Eligible to Apply
Single
A
32
32
41
4
B
41
2
43
72
10
C
43
31
1
75
70
8
CD
47
4
51
74
16
D
14
2
16
130
39
E
55
26
83
53
31
F
4
8
12
24
6
G
1
1
14
18
TOTALS
237
71
2
3
313
478
123
Note:
The number of officers shown include those on leave but do not include those in departmental quarters.
TABLE III
NUMBERS OF OFFICERS IN HOTELS AND HOSTELS ON 31ST MARCH, 1954.
Single Officers
Married Officers
Total
No. of Rooms
Male
Female
HOTELS
42
6
41 (18)
89 (18)
103
GOVERNMENT
HOSTELS
25
17
42
40
NON-GOVT.
HOSTELS
14
2
2
18
18
TOTALS
81
25
43 (18)
149 (18)
161
TABLE IV
NUMBERS OF OFFICERS IN PRIVATE TENANCIES ON 31ST MARCH 1954.
Single Officers
Married Officers
Total
No. of Tenancies
Male
Female
PRIVATE TEN-
ANCIES
13
3
44 (24) (incl. 1 widower)
60 (24)
57
Note: (1) Figures in brackets indicate numbers of married officers with children in
the Colony.
(2) Single officers include officers whose wives are not in the Colony.
Married officers are those whose wives are in the Colony.
12
1
OVT.
RESS
HONG KONG