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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, NOVEMBER 3, 1916.
659
The Colonial Secretary also addressed the Council and explained that the time occu- pied in preparing the statement read by His Excellency was so great that it had been impossible to complete the replies to the following questions standing in the name of Mr. POLLOCK :-
Government Civil Hospital.
1. Of the sums of $9,905, $10,147, and $9,7 14 stated at the last meeting of Council to have been expended in the years 1913, 1914, and 1915, respectively, will the Government state
(i) how much of that expenditure represents drugs and disinfectants
(a) supplied from home;
(b) purchased locally ?
(ii) whether it is not the fact that the price of drugs and disinfectants has gone up considerably since the beginning of the war, with the result that the same sum of money purchased considerably less drugs and disinfectants since the war than it did before the war?
(iii) whether any savings were effected on the amounts voted for drugs and disinfectants in the years 1914 and 1915 or either of them, and, if so, what were the amounts of such savings?
2. With reference to the morning allocation of Sisters at the Civil Hospital which was announced
by His Excellency the Governor at the Council Meeting of the 3rd August last, namely :-
A Block.
Morning, 1 Sister on each floor;
Operating Theatre, 1 Sister;
will the Government state
(i) on what dates between the 22nd August and the date of these Questions (12th October) it has been found possible to carry out the said intended morning scheme of allocation, namely, 1 Sister on each floor of A Block, and a separate Šister for the Operating Theatre; and
(ii) on what dates, between the said dates, One Sister alone has had to attend in the morning not only to the two floors in A Block but also to the Operating Theatre as well, that is to say, to do work which, under the above scheme of allocation, is supposed to be done by three Sisters.
QUESTIONS. Mr. POLLOCK gave notice that he will put the following questions at the next meeting of the Council :—
1.—With reference to the following statements in paragraph 5 of the Despatch of His Excellency the Governor, of the 26th May, 1916, to the Secretary of State for the Colonies on the subject of the recent Petition for greater representation of the public on the Executive and Legis- lative Councils, namely: It is quite impracticable to apply the principle of election to appointments to a body like the Executive Council and it does not seem necessary to set out the very obvious reasons for which such a proposal could not be entertained": Will the Government state what are the reasons why such a proposal could not be entertained? Will the Government also state for what reasons two out of the four non-Chinese Unofficial Members of the Legislative Council are Government nominees instead of being elected as Members?
2.
APPROPRIATION BILL.--The Colonial Secretary moved the First reading of a Bill intituled An Ordinance to apply a sum not exceeding Eight million six hundred and five thousand one hundred and five Dollars to the Public Service of the year 1917.
The Colonial Treasurer seconded.
His Excellency the Governor addressed the Council.
Question-put and agreed to.
Bill read a first time.
BILLS OF EXCHANGE BILL.-The Attorney General moved the First reading of a Bill intituled An Ordinance to make provision in connection with the present war with respect to Bills of Exchange payable outside the Colony.
The Colonial Secretary seconded.
Question-put and agreed to.
Bill read a first time.