Great Building Activity: New Structures Worth Tls. 21,000,000:
Road and Traffic Problem s: 56
Miles of Street Trenches Various matters of considerable interest are dealt with in the report of the Acting Commissioner of Public Works (Mr. C. Harpur), which report forms part LI of the Municipal Council's annual report.
Notwithstanding poor trade conditions in general, activity in the building trades has been phenomena al, says the report. The value of buildings for which permits were issued during the year is estimated at Ts. 21,000,000, and at the end of last year 614 blocks of buildings were in course of construction. In cluded in the figures for 1921 are 235 foreign dwelling houses, while in the French Concession 355 foreign residences were erected. The growth of exchanges' has had an appreciable effect on the shortage of Chinese houses in the Central District. Some large blocks have been demolished to provide sites for the exchanges. It is becoming more apparent that large industrial undertakings should provide houses for their Chinese employees and many blocks of such houses were erect€d during the year.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.