Large building schemes taken in hand during the year are perhaps rather less than during the previous year or two, though some important blocks have been completed or are nearing completion. It would appear that in the Central district there is now a larger amount of office ac~ commodation than is required, and when the buildings at present in hand are completed the accommodation will be considerably in excess of the demand and likely to remain so unless there is a great improvement in trade.
The small house shortage no longer exists, numbers of these having been built especially in French Town. The demand for modern, well designed houses with a bit of garden at rents of Tls. 130 to Tls. 1150 remains good, 'A large amount of new Chinese house building has been carried out during the year. This, in a large measure has been pulling down old dilapidated houses and building new and larger shops and houses.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.