22 HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. 4TH MARCH, 1920.
PRESENT:―
HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR, SIR REGINALD EDWARD STUBBS, K.C.M.G.
HIS EXCELLENCY MAJOR-GENERAL F. VENTRIS, C.B. (General Officer Commanding Troops in China).
HON. MR. CLAUD SEVERN, C.M.G. (Colonial Secretary).
HON. MR. J. H. KEMP, K.C., C.B.E. (Attorney General).
HON. MR. R. O. HUTCHISON, M.B.E. (Colonial Treasurer).
HON. MR. W. CHATHAM, C.M.G. (Director of Public Works).
HON. MR. E. R. HALLIFAX, O.B.E. (Secretary for Chinese Afairs).
HON. MR. E. D. C. WOLFE (Captain Superintendent for Police).
HON. MR. H. E. POLLOCK, K.C.
HON. MR. HO FOOK.
HON. MR. JOHN JOHNSTONE.
HON. MR. E. V. D. PARR.
MR. A. G. M. FLETCHER, C.B.E. (Clerk of Councils).
ABSENT:―
HON. MR. LAU CHU PAK.
HON. MR. S. H. DODWELL.
Jurors' List
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY, by command of H.E. the Governor, laid upon the table the Jurors' List for 1920.
Finance
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY, by command of H.E. the Governor, laid upon the table Financial Minutes, Nos. 15 and 16 and moved that these be referred to the Finance Committee.
THE COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and this was agreed to.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY, by command of H.E. the Governor, laid upon the table the Report of the Finance Committee No. 3 and moved that it be adopted.
THE COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and this was agreed to.
Domestic Buildings
HON. MR. H. E. POLLOCK, K.C., in accordance with notice previously given asked the following question:―
Will the Government appoint a Committee for the purpose of reporting on the desirability of amending the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance, 1903, by reducing the height of storeys required in domestic buildings and thereby lessening the cost of such buildings?
HIS EXCELLENCY replied―I have no objection to appointing such a Committee if there is a general desire to that effect, but I suggest that it would be equally satisfactory if the Public Works Committee would consider the matter, with the assistance of the Medical Officer of Health.
The Non-Ferrous Metal Industry Ordinance, 1919
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the second reading of the Bill intituled, an Ordinance to amend the Non-Ferrous Metal Industry Ordinance, 1919. He said: The object of the Bill is to correct a mistake in the drafting of the prineipal Ordinance.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded and the Bill was read a second time.
Council then went into Committee to consider the Bill clause by clause. There were no amendments, and on Council resuming, the Bill, on the motion of the Attorney-General, seconded by the Colonial Secretary, was read a third time and passed.
HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. 23
Banking Business (Prohibited Control) Ordinance,
1919
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the second reading of the Bill intituled, an Ordinance to amend the Banking Business (Prohibited Control) Ordinance, 1919. He said: This Bill is to correct an error in the drafting of the principal Ordinance, similar to the error corrected in the previous Bill.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and this was agreed to.
Council then went into Committee to consider the Bill clause by clause. There were no amendments, and, on Council resuming, the Bill was read a third time on the motion of the Attorney-General, seconded by the Colonial Treasurer, and passed.
The Liquors Consolidation Ordinance, 1911
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the second reading of the Bill intituled, an Ordinance to amend the Liquors Consolidation Ordinance, 1911. He said The Bill proposes to make certain amendments in the provisions of the principal Ordinance relating to the constitution of the Licensing Board, and other points. It proposes to provide that if no nomination is received for any vacancy, the Governor shall have power to appoint a member. It also provides, in accordance with existing practice, that the Justices who are elected to the Board shall be elected by the unofficial Justices of the Peace. It also makes clear that when any member is absent from the Colony, as soon as he is absent, there is power to fill his place by an acting member. It also provides that the quorum shall be three in future and not five, as five seems an unnecessarily large quorum for a Board consisting of only seven members.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the Bill was read a second time.
Council then went into Committee to consider the Bill clause by clause. There were no amendments, and, on Council resuming, the Attorney-General moved the Bill be read a third time.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
Council was then adjourned sine die.
FINANCE COMMITTEE.
A meeting of the Finance Committee followed, the Colonial Secretary presiding.
Victoria Peak Signal Station
The Governor recommended the Council to vote a sum of three thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars ($3,750) in aid of the vote Public Works, Extraordinary, Hongkong, Buildings, Victoria Peak Signal Station, Reinstating Buildings.
THE CHAIRMAN―The Unofficial members some time ago asked that the Signal Station at Victoria Peak, which the Naval authorities were giving up, should be continued, and I think the hon. member on my left (Hon. Mr. Parr) made a special point of that and said it was useful to the public and shipping. The result was that it was decided to put the whole station in order and to get instruments to have the meteorological records developed rather more than had been the case hitherto. The work is now complete. It consists of restoring the station and making the buildings fit to live in. The original estimate was $3,500. The cost has been $3,750.
The vote was agreed to.
New Hull for Police Steam Launch
The Governor recommended the Council to vote a sum of six hundred and fifty-three dollars ($653) in aid of the vote Police and Prison Departments, A.―Police, Special Expenditure, New Hull for Steam-launch Hapag.
THE CHAIRMAN―At the last meeting a special vote for the hull of the Hapag was passed the sum being $9,000. There are a number of items on the list I have here, which are necessary to complete the launch. The largest item on this list of fittings is $230 for a skylight to the cabin, and there is $150 for a closet for officers. Altogether there are 14 items and the total is $632.50. A vote for $653 is asked for.
The vote was agreed to.
24 HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
The Mails from Great Britain
(Extract from the Hongkong Government Gazette No. 13 of the 26th March, 1920.)
THE HON. MR. H. E. POLLOCK, K.C., gave notice, on the 9th March, 1920, of the following question:―
"What steps is the Government taking to ensure the more regular delivery in future of Mails from Great Britain to Hongkong, viâ Suez?"
The reply thereto is as follows ―
"The inconvenience cannot be remedied by any action of this Government as it is due to the abnormal shipping conditions at the present time. The Postal Authorities in London endeavour to send the mails by the quickest route available and the recent exceptional delays in the delivery of certain mails were due to the delay and diversion of vessels of
the Ocean Steamship Company for purposes which were not known to the Postal Authorities at the time when the mails were put on board.
It has now been arranged that all mails will be despatched by the Indian mail, that is by the weekly service viâ Marseilles, Bombay and Negapatam, and it is hoped that this arrangement will prove more satisfactory."
W. J. CARRIE,
Clerk of Councils.
COUNCIL CHAMBER,
26th March, 1920.