80 HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. 21ST SEPTEMBER, 1922.
PRESENT:―
HIS EXCELLENCY THE OFFICER ADMINISTERING THE GOVERNMENT, HON. MR. CLAUD SEVERN, C.M.G.
H.E. THE GENERAL OFFICER COMMANDING THE TROOPS, MAJOR-GENERAL, SIR JOHN FOWLER, K.C.M.G., C.B., D.S.O.
HON. MR. A. G. M. FLETCHER, C.M.G., C.B.E. (Colonial Secretary).
HON. MR. J. H. KEMP, K.C., C.B.E. (Attorney General).
HON. MR. E. R. HALLIFAX, O.B.E. (Secretary for Chinese Affairs).
HON. MR. E. A. IRVING (Director of Education).
HON. MR. T. L. PERKINS (Director of Public Works).
HON. MR. E. V. D. PARR.
HON. MR. A. O. LANG.
HON. MR. CHOW SHOU-SON.
HON. MR. A. R. LOWE.
HON. MR. H. W. BIRD.
HON. MR. NG HON-TSZ.
MR. A. DYER BALL (Clerk of Councils). ABSENT:―
HON. MR. D. W. TRATMAN (Colonial Treasurer).
Presentation of a Military Cross
Before the business on the Agenda was proceeded with H.E. THE OFFICER ADMISTERING THE GOVERNMENT presented to Mr. Donald C. Logan (late Captain in the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment) the Military Cross.
HIS EXCELLENCY said ― I have been asked by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to present the Military Cross to
Captain Donald Clements Logan, late of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. The award of this decoration was notified in the London Gazette of March 12th, 1917, with a description of the services in respect of which the decoration was given: "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during a raid on the enemy's trenches. He led his party to its objective with skill and intelligence, inflicting severe loss on the enemy and capturing six prisoners."
After pinning the medal on to the lapel of Captain Logan's coat, HIS EXCELLENCY said―"It gives me great pleasure to make this presentation to you, and I congratulate you most heartily on having won this mark of His Majesty's favour by your gallantry.
Members of Council stood in their places while the presentation was being made.
Mr. Logan's parents and brother and sister attended to witness the presentation.
Minutes
The minutes of the last meeting of the Council were approved and signed by the President.
The Peak Hospital
H I S EXCELLENCY T H E OFFICER ADMINISTERING THE GOVERNMENT said ―Since our last meeting, as hon. members are aware, Mr. J. E. Joseph has bought the property known as the Peak Hospital and by an act of great generosity made it over to the Government to use as a Nursing Home for such period as we wish. By doing this Mr. Joseph relieved a very difficult situation, as the present owners of the Hospital had determined to close it by the end of this month. If that had
HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. 81
occurred the hospital accommodation of the Colony would have been very short; in fact, we would, no doubt, have had a very difficult time in providing for patients. The Government have accepted Mr. Joseph's generous gift and have appointed a committee, which is now at work making arrangements for carrying on the hospital from the 1st of October. The Government have taken over the responsibility of seeing that the property is put in thoroughly good order, and when the Nursing Home which is to be erected as part of the War Memorial of this Colony is ready it is proposed to hand back this property to Mr. Joseph to deal with as he wishes. I am sure that hon. members will wish the Clerk to record on the minutes the appreciation which we, as representatives of the community in this Colony, feel towards Mr. Joseph for his most philanthrophic action in this matter.
HON. MR. E. V. D. PARR―Sir, this Council will cordially support what you have said in moving this vote of thanks to Mr. Joseph for his generous gift to the community. The circumstances of the proposed sale of the Peak Hospital to the community, which has been going on during the last two years, have been recorded in the public Press, so it is not necessary to say anything more on the subject here. It would have been possible to make temporary arrangements, in my opinion, if the Peak Hospital had been sold as anything other than a hospital, but these arrangements could not have been as good as the hospital itself, and Mr. Joseph, by stepping into the breach and making this generous gift to the community, will earn the thanks of everybody.
The Council signified in the usual manner its wish to have its appreciation of Mr. Joseph's gift recorded in the minutes.
Finance
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY, by command of H.E. the Officer Administering the Government, laid upon the table Financial Minutes Nos. 61 to 72 and moved that they be referred to the Finance Committee.
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY, by
command of H.E. the Officer Administering the Government, laid upon the table the report of the Finance Committee (No. 9), and moved that it be adopted by the Council.
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
Papers
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY, by command of H.E. the Governor, laid upon the table the following papers:―Report of the Director of Public Works; the Sanitary Report, and Report of the Secretary for Chinese Affairs, for the year 1921. Also an *Order made by the Officer Administering the Council under section 7 of the Pilots Ordinance 1904, made August 24th, 1922; and *Additional conditions of Eating House and Chinese Restaurant Licences under sections 34 (2) and 33 (5) of the Liquors Consolidation Ordinance 1911.
* These decisions by H.E. the Officer Administering the Government in Council have already been published in the Government Gazette.
A Temporary Public Latrine in Kowloon
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY moved the following resolution:―
"Whereas application has been duly made by the Sanitary Board to the Governor under section 167 of the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance, 1903, for the erection of a temporary Public Latrine on the area immediately to the south of Kowloon Inland Lot No. 1118, Kowloon City Road:
"And whereas such application having been duly approved by the Governor and a notification of the intention to erect a temporary Public Latrine at such site having been duly published in three successive numbers of the Gazette, certain owners and occupiers of property in the vicinity have objected to such erection:
"And whereas such objections have been duly considered:
82 HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
"It is hereby resolved by this Council that the above mentioned site and the erection thereat of a temporary Public Latrine be and the same are hereby approved."
In moving the resolution, the COLONIAL SECRETARY said: We have taken great pains to arrange the site of this latrine. The position has been chosen, in so far as possible, away from buildings, and from prospective buildings, and it is not on any of the projected main roads of the locality.
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL seconded the motion which was agreed to.
Dangerous Goods Amendment Ordinance
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the first reading of a Bill intituled, An Ordinance to amend the Dangerous Goods Ordinance, 1873. He said: This Bill is necessary, Sir, in order to make it possible to make certain alterations in the rules relating to the storage and possession of inflammable liquids.. These rules have been drafted in consultation with the principal companies concerned in the storage of such liquids and they are partly based on a model supplied by the Petroleum Department of H.M. Government. The necessary power to make the regulations is given in the new clause which clause 2 of the Bill proposes to insert in the principal Ordinance. The other amendments made by the Bill are consequential with one exception. Section 18 of the principal Ordinance provides that offences under section 13 of the Ordinance can only be dealt with by two magistrates sitting together. The section in question deals with two offences. One relates to the carriage of dangerous goods and the section requires that dangerous goods must not be moved unless the package contains in English and Chinese the word "dangerous." The other offence dealt with in section 13 is the offence of delivering dangerous goods to a warehouse keeper without giving him notice of the nature of the contents of the packages. Offences of that nature are dealt with in England by small fines varying from a maximum of £5 to £20. Our section 13, for some curious reason, makes the maximum $2,000 or two years' imprisonment. Clause 6 of the Bill proposes to give jurisdiction under that section to one magistrate, because there
are many more serious offences which, at present, are dealt with by one magistrate alone, and it is under consideration to insert a further clause in the Bill reducing the maximum penalty under section 13 of the principal Ordinance.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded the resolution, which was carried and the Bill was read a first time accordingly.
The Evidence Amendment Ordinance
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the first reading of a Bill intituled, An Ordinance to amend the law relating to evidence and to the administration of oaths. He said: This Bill, Sir, deals with various miscellaneous points and I propose to deal, shortly, with each clause in detail. Clause 2 deals with section 29 of the Evidence Ordinance of 1889. That section provides for the reading at the trial at the Sessions of depositions taken at the Magistracy, where the witness, for various reasons, cannot be produced by the Crown at the trial. Obviously there must be such a power as otherwise witnesses for the Crown might be kept out of the way by the other side. It is also desirable because witnesses sometimes disappear for other reasons or die. It has been found in practice that the present section 29 is not quite strong enough to cover all possible cases and this clause 2 proposes to strengthen it by providing that the depositions taken at the Magistracy may be read at the trial if the witness cannot be found at his last known place of residence in the Colony. Of course, every effort is made to find the witness and to produce him if possible.
Clause 3 of the Bill deals with section 32 of the Evidence Ordinance, 1889. That section deals with what we call dying depositions. Where a prosective witness is dangerously ill it is the practice to take his deposition, generally at the Hospital, so that his evidence may be perpetuated in case of his death. The common use of this class of evidence is, of course, in cases of manslaughter and murder. A witness is seriously injured, he is taken to the Hospital, a Magistrate is sent for as quickly as possible and
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his evidence is taken. If he subsequently dies before the accused can be brought to trial his evidence may be read on proof of his death and on proof that certain requirements of the section have been complied with. It is also possible to read the evidence if the witness is so ill that he is unable to travel to the court. The requirements of section 32 are rather technical on certain points, and these dying depositions are frequently rejected here and in England on technical grounds. The courts are naturally very jealous of admitting the evidence unless it complies fully with the requirements of the statute. Two of the requirements of the section deal with points that are rather technical; for example, one deals with the "caption" which must appear on the depositions. The "caption" is a statement of the circumstances under which the deposition is taken and shows the authority for taking it. Cases have occurred where a deposition otherwise perfectly in order has been rejected because of some technical error in the caption. The section also requires certain notice to be given to the accused, and cases have occurred where the deposition has been rejected although no substantial wrong or injustice has been done to the prisoner merely because certain requirements as to notice were not properly complied with. Clause 3 of the Bill, in paragraph (g), proposes to add this provision to the original section:
"No such statement shall be rejected on the ground of any failure to comply with any of the provisions of sub-section (1) with regard to the notice or the caption unless the court is of opinion that the person accused was substantially prejudiced by such failure."
Of course, it is for the Court to say whether the failure to comply with the section was one which causes prejudice to the prisoner or not.
Clauses 4 to 8 deal with the form of oath and affirmation. Clause 4 is a copy of two sections in the English "Oaths Act" of 1909 and our Oaths Ordinance of 1910, except that, in our Oaths Ordinance, the witness is not required to repeat the words of the oath himself: the oath is repeated by the officer of the court. That is not the English practice, and it is not the practice here with regard to declarations by persons who are not either
Christians or Jews. It is thought that requiring the witness to repeat the words of the oath himself is more likely to impress him with the importance and solemnity of the oath, and, in any case, in making this alteration we are going back to the English practice.
Clause 5 merely provides for the use of the Scottish form of oath when the witness wishes to be sworn in that way. It is merely a repetition of an existing section.
Clause 6 is new in our statute book; it is a copy of a section in the English Oaths Act of 1888 which provides that where an oath has been administered duly, and taken, the fact that the person to whom it was administered has no religious belief does not affect the validity of the oath. It is obvious that if a person takes an oath without raising any object-tion, neither he nor anyone else can be heard to say that the oath is of no effect because the witness had no religious belief.
Clause 7 is more complicated and I do not think that I need go into detail because it is fully explained in "the Objects and Reasons." Putting it shortly, the clause is intended to simplify the law on the subject of affirmations and make it approximate to the English law on the subject.
Clause 8 is practically a copy of an existing section.
Clause 9 is certainly an innovation. It is an attempt to deal with a difficulty which sometimes occurs here but which, I suppose, seldom or never occurs in England. Medical officers in the Government service, of course, frequently go on leave, and when they leave the service, finally, they often go to places far distant from the Colony and it is impossible to get them back to give evidence. The section provides that in any prosecution for murder or manslaughter any medical entries or report of any Government medical officer which purport to relate to the deceased will be admissable in evidence, on proof of his handwriting and proof of his death or absence from the Colony. In a recent murder trial before the Supreme Court, medical evidence which we would have liked to call
84 HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
would have been given by a doctor not now in the Colony and he could not possibly get back to give the evidence. We got over the difficulty because it so happened that the police officer in charge of the case had remained for the postmontem exmination and had taken a keen interest in it, and was able to describe exactly what the results of the postmontem were. We might not always be in so favourable a position and we think it safer to provide that where the doctor cannot be called, because of his death or absence from the Colony, his record of the postmontem examination shall be admissible in evidence. Of course, the question of the weight of that evidence is another matter. I might say that it does not seem to be a very important change to make these records evidence; because, after all, if a trial takes place after a considerable lapse of time the medical officer obviously cannot remember the details without refreshing his memory, and what he does is to go to his record, read it and give his evidence after refreshing his memory in that way. The longer the time that elapses the more the evidence really rests on the note or record rather than on the officer's own recollection.
Clause 10, is, I think,―though the point is not quite clear―practically declaratory of the existing law. At all events it clears up certain doubts: it provides that any observations made by the accused in the course of the hearing at the magistracy and any evidence given by him must be taken down by the magistrate and may be proved at the trial by the production of the depositions. There is a certain amount of doubt as to how the remarks made by the prisoner in the course of a trial should be proved, and though our Magistrates Ordinance provides for the admissibility of the depositions to prove the prisoner's formal statement at the end of the case, it makes no provision for the proof of his evidence on oath or of any statements made by him in the course of the hearing. This clause provides that such statements, and his evidence, may be proved on the production of the depositions at the trial. Of course, the only other way would be to call witnesses, and the recollection of witnesses is much less likely to be correct than a note taken in writting by the magistrate at the time. I beg to move the first reading.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded,
the resolution was carried and the Bill was read a first time.
The Perjury Ordinance
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the first reading of a Bill intituled, An Ordinance to consolidate and simplify the law relating to perjury and kindred offences. He said: This Bill is based on the English Perjury Act of 1911. That Act was the first instalment of Lord Loreburn's scheme for the codification of the English criminal law. It has been received with great favour in England and I may point out that it is a true code because it gives the rules both of statute and common law, and in that respect resembles the Bills of Exchange Act and the Sale of Goods Act, and differs from mere consolidating statutes, like the Merchant Shipping Act and the Public Health Act which merely collect the statute law on the subject. The bill was drafted by Mr. Craies, the Editor of Hardcastle's, "Statute Law," Archbold's "Criminal Pleading," and Russell's "Criminal Law"; he was assisted by a strong body of experts. The English Act comprises the whole of the common and statute Law on the subject and codifies 260 statutes in 15 substantive and four formal sections. It is rather a wonderful example of codification. It repeals statutes going as far back as the reigns of Elizabeth and Henry VIII. The simplification effected by this codification is illustrated by the fact that Archbold's "Criminal Pleading," for example, contained 36 pages in the former edition on the subject, but the last edition, issued since the English Act was passed, has only 17 pages on perjury. The Act gets rid of a great many conflicting decisions on various points and simplifies the law on many others. The variations in this Bill from the English Act are very slight, and are made chiefly because of local conditions, currency and so on.
There is one section, clause 10, which does not appear in the English Act, but that is merely a copy of an existing section in our Evidence Ordinance. It provides that where a witness wilfully makes two contradictory statements he can be charged with perjury without the
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Crown having to prove the falsity of either of the statements. One other point in which the Bill differs from the English Act is that it omits certain provisions which have an extra territorial effect. Parliament can legislate extra-territorially but we cannot. Otherwise the Bill is practically a copy of the English Act.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded the motion, which was carried and the Bill was read a first time accordingly.
Industrial Employment of Children Ordinance
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the first reading of a Bill intituled, An Ordinance to regulate the employment of children in certain industries. He said: This Bill has been drafted to carry out the recommendations of the Commission on the industrial employment of children, appointed by His Excellency the Governor on the 24th March, 1921, which reported on the 24th October, 1921. It is also intended to carry out, as far as is possible, having regard to local conditions, the spirit of the provisions of the Draft Convention which was adopted at Washington on the 28th November, 1919, by the International Labour Conference, which relates to the admission of children to industrial employment. The practical detailed provisions appear in the regulations printed in the schedule of the Bill. It is not suggested that these regulations are a final settlement of the problem; they are tentative, and may, of course, require alteration as time goes on and as we obtain more experience. It is obvious, I think, that we must attack a problem of this kind very carefully and slowly, because too much interference with the existing system of child labour in the Colony would cause great hardship to the poorer classes and to the children themselves.
Regulations 1 and 2 provide that no child― that is any person under 15 years of age―is to be employed in any dangerous trade, and the dangerous trades specified are boiler chipping, the manufacture of fireworks, and glass making. It will be noticed that it is not only trades that are dangerous in the strict sense that are aimed at, but also trades injurious to health. Regulation 3 provides that no child under 10 is to be employed in a factory. A factory is defined in clause 2 in terms taken
from an English statute on the subject. Regulation 4 is an attempt to deal with the employment of children in casual labour. The Commission recommended that no child under 13 (Chinese reckoning) should be employed in any form of casual labour. That was not found possible to carry out because it is extremely difficult to define what casual labour is, and we thought that we would make a beginning by providing that no child under 12 (English reckoning) shall be employed in carrying coal, building material or débris.
Regulation 5 provides that at every factory where children are employed the owners must keep a running record of the children employed, showing age, hours of work and so on.
Regulations 6 to 10 deal with hours of labour. No child is to be allowed to work in any industrial undertaking more than nine hours in any period of 24 hours. An industrial undertaking is defined in clause 2, in terms based on the definition in an English Act relating to the employment of children and young persons. No child is to be allowed to work more than five hours continuously in any industrial undertaking, and there must be a certain interval of relaxation after each spell of work. No child employed in an industrial undertaking is to work for more than six days continuously; there must be one day's rest in seven; and no child must be employed in any industrial undertaking between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.
Regulation 11 is an attempt to deal with the very difficult and vexed problem of the carrying of weights by children. It is also attacked, of course, by regulation 4, which provides that no child under 12 is to carry coal, or building material or débris. Regulation 11 provides that no child whatever―that is any person under 15―is to carry, in any case, more than 40 catties in weight, and no child is to carry a weight unreasonably heavy having regard to the child's age and physical development.
86 HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
In case any members of Council may wish to compare this Bill with the recommendations of the Commission I may mention that the Commission report gives the ages in Chinese reckoning and the Bill, of course, states them in English reckoning. We have converted the ages from Chinese to English reckoning by deducting one year in each case.
It is intended that the Protector of Juvenile Labour appointed under this Ordinance, shall be the Secretary for Chinese Affairs, or some officer in his Department, and Clause 7 provides that no prosecution under the Ordinance shall be commenced without the consent of the Protector.
The commencement of the Ordinance is not yet decided upon, so a blank appears in Clause 8.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, the motion was carried and the Bill was read a first time accordingly.
The Zetland Hall Trustees Incorporation Ordinance
HON. MR. A. R. LOWE moved the first reading of a Bill intituled, An Ordinance to amend the law relating to the incorporation of the Zetland Hall Trustees. He said: The present private Bill repeals Ordinance No. 4 of 1915, and vests the Zetland Hall property in representatives of the various Lodges named therein in place of representatives of Zetland Lodge only, and at their request. This mode of incorporation saves expense and trouble in the appointment of new trustees from time to time.
HON. MR. LANG seconded, the motion was carried and the Bill was read a first time accordingly.
The Council then adjourned until Thursday, September 28th.
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FINANCE COMMITTEE
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A meeting of the Finance Committee followed, the COLONIAL SECRETARY presiding.
Road Repairs Necessitated by Motor Traffic
The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a sum of $30,000 in aid of the vote Public Works,
Recurrent, New Territories, Communications, (39) Maintenance of Roads and Bridges.
THE CHAIRMAN―The vote for this was $45,000 and this additional sum is required because of having to make good the road between Fanling and Un Long due to the narrow treaded tyres of the motor bus service. That has been remedied and the Government now has before it the general question of extending motor 'bus services in the New Territories. We want in future to complete road-making before the services are started.
HON. MR. LANG―Will the owners of these busses be responsible for part of the upkeep of these roads?
THE CHAIRMAN ― Well, the whole question is under consideration and we are not embarking immediately on any scheme for that reason. There is another point about these roads. From Au Tau the approach is merely a road through paddy fields and the result is that with the weight of the traffic the foundations of the road spread. It ought to have been made of stone in the first instance. I think the Director of Public Works will agree.
THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS―It would have been better if it had been formed as a causeway.
HON. MR. BIRD―If they reinforced the road would that help?
THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS― No, the filling would fall away from the reinforcement.
HON. MR. BIRD―Will the busses be made to have pneumatic instead of solid tyres?
THE CHAIRMAN―Undoubtedly: that is the intention.
The vote was approved.
Additions to Government House
The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a sum of $15,000 in aid of the vote Public Works, Extraordinary, Hongkong, Buildings, (6) Government House, Additions and Reconstruction of kitchen and garage blocks.
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THE CHAIRMAN―This is a vote from last year.
Approved.
Diaphone Fog Signalling at Waglan
The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a sum of $13,400 in aid of the vote Public Works, Extraordinary, New Territories, Buildings, (96) Diaphone Fog Sigalling Installation, Waglan.
THE CHAIRMAN―$20,000 was voted in 1921 and when the estimates for 1922 were prepared it was not certain how far the vote would be exhausted and $15,000 was put in in 1922. The revised estimate of cost is less than this.
Approved.
Government Garage at Kowloon
The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a sum of $17,000 on account of Public Works, Extraordinary, Kowloon, Conversion of the China Light and Power Company's premises into a Government Garage.
THE CHAIRMAN ― The Government is increasing the number of cars and fire engines and lorries. These are repaired at the old premises of the China Light and Power Company.
Approved.
Motor-car for Medical Officer in Kowloon
The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a sum of $2,402 on account of Miscellaneous Services, Purchase of a motor-car for use of Medical Officer in Kowloon and New Territories.
THE CHAIRMAN―There is an increasing demand upon the cars by several departments and the Medical Officer has to go to Laichikok daily so that it is necessary to buy another car.
Approved.
Fire Brigade
The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a sum of $5,700 in aid of the following votes:―
Fire Brigade, other charges:―
Clothing ............................... $3,500.00 Incidental expenses ............. 200.00 Stores ................................... 2,000.000 ————
Total ..................... $5,700.00
————
THE CHAIRMAN ― The estimate was $5,000 but there has been an increase in the number of men and the extra expense was to cover the increased personnel and establishment generally.
Approved.
Temporary Police Training School
The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a sum of $15,000 on account of Public Works, Extraordinary, Hongkong, Buildings, alteration of Harbour View as a Police Training School.
THE CHAIRMAN ― The Police Training School, as you know, is being built eventually on Kowloon City Road Reclamation but in the meantime this "Harbour View" is an entirely suitable position for it. This money is required to make the necessary alterations.
HON. MR. LANG―I am afraid I do not know where it is.
THE CHAIRMAN―It is at Breezy Point, the old German Mission. The Government's intention is to resume that land and pay the proceeds over to the mission and in the meantime, while the other Police Training School is building, we have to use these premises.
Approved.
Kowloon British School
The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a sum of $500 in aid of the vote Public Works, Extraordinary, Kowloon Buildings, (68) Kowloon British School, provision of new class rooms.
THE CHAIRMAN―The vote is $5,000, and this $500 extra is required for furniture.
Approved.
88 HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
Coal for the Railway
The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a sum of $7,000 in aid of the vote Kowloon-Canton Railway, Locomotives, Carriages and Wagon Department, Other Charges, Coal.
THE CHAIRMAN―The vote is $139,650. The monthly consumption is slightly higher than the estimate. The Strike traffic affected it.
Approved.
Government House Votes
The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a sum of $1,500 in aid of the following votes:―
Governor, other charges:―
Incidental expenses ................ $ 750.00 Electric fans and light ............ 750.00 ————
Total ......................... $1,500.00
————
THE CHAIRMAN―The votes are $2,000 and 1,200 respectively. The excess is on account of the visit of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales.
Approved.
Improvements to Buildings
The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a sum of $10,000 in aid of the vote Public Works, Recurrent, Hongkong, Buildings, (2) Improvements to Buildings.
THE CHAIRMAN―The vote is $15,000. There is an increased percentage in the cost of the work and the number of buildings was increased.
Approved.
Renewing Moorings in the Harbour
The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a sum of $5,000 in aid of the vote Harbour Master's Department, Other Charges, Raising and Renewing moorings of Ocean Steamships.
THE CHAIRMAN―The vote is $20,000 and they find that this extra sum is required.
Approved.
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