HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. 99
November 29th, 1928.
FINANCE COMMITTEE.
A meeting of the Finance Committee was held in the Sanitary Board Room.
THE COLONIALSECRETARY (the HON. MR. E. R. HALLIFAX, C.M.G., O.B.E.) presided and there were present:―
THE COLONIAL TREASURER (HON. MR. C. MCI. MESSER, O.B.E.).
HON. MR. H. T. CREASY, C.B.E. (Director of Public Works).
HON. SIR SHOU-SON CHOW.
HON. MR. R. H. KOTEWALL, C.M.G., LL.D.
HON. MR. A. C. HYNES.
HON. MR. J. OWEN HUGHES.
HON. MR. C. G. S. MACKIE.
HON. MR. B. D. F. BEITH.
MR. H. R. BUTTERS (Deputy Clerk of Councils).
Message No. 12 from H.E. The Officer Administering the Government, containing supplementary votes totalling $143,732, was considered. All the votes were approved.
Respecting the supplementary vote of $17,000 for rent allowances for senior members of the Civil Service, the Hon. Mr. C. G. S. Mackie called attention to the large margin between the actual expenditure and the estimated expenditure of $72,000.
THE CHAIRMAN―The cost of the rent allowances has been underestimated. There are many uncertain quantities to be considered in such a matter and the estimate must necessarily be approximate only.
When the vote of $25,000 for Waterworks Maintenance was under consideration, the HON. MR. J. OWEN HUGHES said―I notice that coal for pumping shows an increase of $20,000 over last year. That seems to me an extraordinarily big increase, and I should like to have some explanation of it. Have conditions changed in any way from the normal? What is the present cost of pumping per thousand gallons of water?
THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS―I think the explanation is this: there was no pumping during the Summer months in previous years and therefore little or no coal was used.
HON. MR. OWEN HUGHES―You are obtaining the same ratio of water per ton of coal used?
THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS―Pumping has been more expensive per ton of coal this year than in previous years. There have been many complaints regarding the coal used.
It was decided that the Director of Public Works should obtain the figures of pumping costs and circulate them to members of the Committee.