41
B
Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical › Export Co., 1 td.
ELECTRICAL PLANT AND ACCESSORIES
OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS.
SOLE DISTRIBUTORS IN CHINA & HONGKONG, ARNHOLD & Co., Ltd.
"
1A, Chater Road. 'Phone Central 1500.
REDUCED RATES FOR CAR HIRE.
THE HONGKONG HOTEL GARAGE have pleasure in announcing that they are enabled to reduce the mates for ear hire to
SMALL CAR 4-PASSENGER $4.00 per hour.
LARGE CAR 6-PASSENGER
$6.00 per hour.
to be effective on and after the 1st SEPTEMBER Next.
Waiting time will be charged at half rates.
FOR HONGKONG,
FOR KOWLOON,
'Phone C. 32. 'Phone K. 374.
THE HONGKONG HOTEL CO., LTD.
On the Police Station
THE CHINA MAIL.
CIVIL SERVANTS' HOUSES,
incurred in the commencement
Mongkektsui shortage of expendi The Hon. Mr. R. H. Kotewall of the preparation of plans, which ture was "owing to difficulties with | Your Excellency, I cr›ve permis- foundations." Under Commun sion to make a few remarks in proved to be an extraordinarily ications." items "a" to "g" there connection with the item "Rents difficult task. I may say that this are enormous amounts not expend- Allowance" which appears on page new jul is my own project: I ed in respect of the roads in Kow 12 of the draft Appropriation have always been particularly in- loan, which total altogether just | Account for 19zz.. This item shows
The
TYTAM PUMPING PLANT. Another specific instance, men-
upon two lakhs of dollars. Then a total expenditure of $56.730, terested in it and I have been Sir, on page 46 there is the item which I presume represents reut pressing the Public Works Depar= Training Nullahs (a) Mongkoktsui allowances to those European ment to say when they are in a $116,000-only $750 spent. The civil servants who do not occupy position to proceed with it; but marginal note is."Work could Government quarters free or at re- not be commenced until lato in the duced rentals.
until quite recently even the This privilege to year."
Another item on the same European employees is necessary, general principles of the plans had New Territories Goal but I venture to make an appeal for not been agreed. If the hon. page is $50,000, the amount spent was $600 similar relief on behalf of the Chi- member will look at the Secretariat odd. The next is "Police Station nese, Portuguese and Indian civil file on the subject he will be amaz Shatin, $35,000,"--nothing spent; servants who must in these days of, ed to discover the numerous pro- erection of brick bungalow, Taipo, high cost of living find it very diffi- blems, ranging from engineering $20,000,"nothing spent: "Anglo-cult to make bath ends meet on their to religious, which arise in connec Chinese School, Cheung Chau, meagre salaries. The Government tio with the new prison. $27,000,"nothing spent: "Quaris encouraging employers to build main plans are, I think, now pres ters for Inspector of Vernacular houses for the accommodation of pared, and the detailed plans, I Schools, Talpo, $15,000,"-nothing employees, and I am sure that it trust, are in course of preparation. spent.
will show the same measure of KOWLOON TONG,
sympathy for its own servants-all At page 48 near the bottom a those servants-irrespective of' very important scheme, thepace, now that the matter his been tiosed by the hon. member was the pumping plant for the Tytam Tal- Kowloon Tong Development brought to its notice. The Gover scheme, as to which it was noted Scheme, (a), resumption $84,000, ment can built houses in suitable -only $14,000 spent; (b), Excava- localities and let them to its sub-that less progress was made owing filling, $66,000,-ordinate employees at reasonable to questions submitted to the con- sulting engineers. The reason for These are items rentals, or grant them an allowance the prolonged delay in dealing that happened to strike me in read-in aid of house rent. If it is found, with that matter was that the ing through the Draft Appropria-for financial reasons, impossible to question arose whether it was tion Account. The net result is, extend the privilege to all, may I as I have pointed out, that we find suggest that the privilege may be desirable to introduce a new type
of electrical machinery that only three-and-a-half millions first given to subordinates who
steam machinery. The Public out of $6,600 000 has been ex- have more than, say, ten years Works Department advanced cer- pended. It is curious how often service. I respectfully commend tain views and the consulting the expression occurs, "Less work this suggestion, which has the sup- done than was anticipated," or, part of my Chinese colleagues, to engineers commented on them and "Less progress made than was the sympathetic consideration of anticipated," or "Contracts not put your Excellency. in hand until nearly the end of the year" and so on.
I think these expressions occur about 40 times.
THE MORAL.
tion and $10,000 spent.
Well Sir, what is the moral of
all this? What are we to deduce
ment.
There is another item on the same page, the item for stationery for which $52,000 was originally voted. This shows an increase of $34,562, and the explanation given in the last column is Increase of Governest business." The
planation,
EXTRAORDINARY UNDER-EXPENDITURE." clear, from the figures that I have very big undertaking, and owing
GOVERNMENT'S PUBLIC WORKS POLICY.
or. use
several references to and fro were necessary
I think the eventual decision was that steam should he retained. In many other cases the explanation given is that less work was done than was anticipated. I am afraid that in certain cases it means that difficulties arose in regard to land titles and so forth.
account.
expenditure was certainly not far short of the maximum of previous: years. I think it must be ad- mitted that considerable advance was made in very desirable works. Possibly more could have been done with more staff: that is not absolutely certain, because in this question of Public Works you are somewhat dependent on labour and at the present time there is a con- siderable shortage.
STAFF NEEDS.
as the reason why these works de-volume of Government business In other cases it means that it was clared by your Excellency inmust have considerably increased not possible to make the expected i Council in October 1921 to he during the last few years, but it is progress, and I should like the hon. pressing works, to be carried out in 1922, are not done? I submit it the same extent as the expenditure some six weeks were cut out of the
a question whether it has grown to member to remember, first, that, is clear in the main why these shown on that itens. Perhaps there year by the strike, during which it must be due to a shortage. 9. this enormous increase which have would have been, in any case, a works have not been carried out are other and spe ial reasons for no work was possible, and there staff in the Public Works Depart been omitted from this White considerable falling off on that
This question has been Book, and I am sure the Unofficial constantly and repeatedly brought Members would like to have an ex-the figures at hand-that the annual I think you will find--I have not up by the Unofficial Members of this Council. We consider that it is extremely bad economy that COLONIAL SECRETARY'S REPLY. The Hon. Coloniz! Secretary: there should be a shortage of staff in this very important spending With regard. Sir, to the question of department. We hold that it is Rent Allowance, I am sure that it is good value to get out a full and the policy of the Government to sufficient staff to carry out all the extend housing to the Service more necessary works, and it is quite or less generally. Of course, it is a given, that the year 1922 must be to the present demand for building reckoned as a very bad year for the the Government is not pressing it progress of Public Works, this year immediately; but it has in view and in which we have only succeeded is making arrangements for an ex- in spending just over a half of what tension of the Kowloon Tong we intended to spend upon works schenie for a provision of a number described in your Excellency's of suitable houses for the senior speech in this Council as "necessary Chinese and Portuguese clerks in Public Works." I trust, Sir, that the the service. As I think you know, Comments were made by unseen the estimated expenditure question of a sufficiency of staff of the Government system is that a official members yesterday on what was $6,611,300-the sum mentioned the Public Works Department will public officer pays six per cent on the Hon. Mr. H. E. Pollock K. C. just now, which I quoted from your he gone into very seriously by the his salary in respect of his rent. one point to which referred to as "this extraordinary Excelleacy's speech-and that the body who reflects upon the position the Salaries Commission, although under-expenditure which has actual expenditure was $3.575,635 of affairs in this Colony at the pre- they did not put it in their report, ing in vain through Hansard to varrel in the year 1922" and the only, leaving what is optinistically sent day and upon the extra- they the attention of the Govern find the remarks made by Mr. Government was urged to budget called a "saving" of $3,035,665.
ordinary rate of building which is for a considerable increase in the Public Works Department Staff in
going on a rate eyen higher than ment to the necessity of keeping Perkins, but I believe he assured Now Sir, that, as I submit, is a it was in the year 1912-can doubt in touch with the commercial con- the Council quite recently that all order to cope with the great number of urgent works waiting to be car-very unsatisfactory state of affairs. that it is extremely necessary for munity in connection with the his requests for additional staff had
Of this large necessary expenditure this Government to see that the De- rising of clerical salaries in the been fully met. we have little over fifty per cent.partment is fully strengthened to Colony, and it is a somewhat in- that as long as the Council will vote portant question, 'because when a money for Public Works purposes, actually expended in the year 1922.
very I shall continue to meet the require- Government employing a large body of clerical staff gives ments of the Director in this matter.
(Continued on page 9.) increases of salary, it is reflected houses have to bear under the in the charges which commercial same head. This is a question which might be considered in the the General
UNOFFICIAL MEMBER'S STRONG CRITICISM.
ried out.
These remarks were made after the Colonial 'Secretary had moved the second reading of an Ordinance to unthorise the Appropriation of a Supplementary Sum of$1,580,594.78 to defray the charges of the year
1922.
"The Colonial Treasurer second
*l,
UNSATISFACTORY STATE
on this
There is
I remember that Mr. Perkins re- marked that it is not much use having the staff unless you can provide accommodation for them, and the first necessity was this building which we now see outside these windows. Now that it is ready for occupation, there is room
I have been look-
time a year ago. Government. I do not think any 1 may draw attention, that for more than was the case this
meet every reasonable
contin
BIGGER P.W.D. STAFF NEEDED.
has
I can only say
A number of important works were geney. very scantily dealt with, as we shall see by referring to this Appropriation Account. Sai Ying at some little length, because of I have spoken on this point, Sir Pun School, for instance, near the course I cannot help knowing that allocated but no sum of money is having under its consideration the first instance by bottom of pane 36, $25,000 is the Government must now be
Sapplied by All Chemists. Physicians prescri ́e Chamberlain's The Hon. Mr. H. E. Pollock: expended; Queen's
College question of the sufficiency of the Chamber and the Chinese Cham-Colic and Diarrhoea Remedy because it Your Excellency, when the Budget formation of site-$35,000 should staff, not only of the Public Works her of Commerce. His Excellency elinses cramps in the atmach and for the year 1922 was introduced in have been spent but there was only Department, but of other offices, the Governor has recently in they can compound. It can ha
alestinal pains quicker than any prepar this Council on the 27th October, spent $1,670.77. Turning to the with a view to the introduction of authorised the Treasurer and my ught from any chemis. A bottle will 1921, your Excellency-I am quot next page-age 38-under the the Budget in this Council in two self to go into this very question Leon for years, and no home is complete ing from Hansard for 1921 at page heading of Communications, item months time. Therefore, I'ven- and put forward the beginnings of wi hout it For sale by all Chemists and 137-made the following observad," the road from Bowen Road to ture to emphasise this point and to a scheme. I may add that while Storekeepers. tions on the subject of the vote far Repulse Bay;
inexpress the hope that the Govern the Rents Ordinance remains in portant piece of work, which ment will fully budget for a force the pressure upon this class is Public Works Extraordinary i
The total som provided for will nearly halve the distance sufficiency of staff in the Public not nearly so great as it would be
from the City to Public Works Extraordinary is
Repulse Works Department, so that we if there were no rent restriction. $6,611,300, an increase on
Bay, there ought to have been ex- may not, in another year, be the
STATIONERY. Estimates for the present year of pended $75,000, but only $17,000 faced with this extraordinary
Turning under-expenditure › which
The Hon. Colonial Treasurer: $1,643,900. The vote for this year odd has been spent.
As to the item for stationery, the was larger than any vote for Public over now, Sir, to page 32, there was occurred in the year 1922.
explanation is perhaps not fully set Works in previous years, so that an important work to be done in
MR. HOLYOAK'S VIEW. The Hon. Mr. P. H. Holyoak: a saving of $17,157, the reason be forth. Last year's Estimates show hon, members will be able to gauge respect of the Tytam Tuk scheme, the expenditure to which the rapid additional pumping plant. There Your Excellency, it is easy to development of the Culoy is ought to have been spent on criticise, but I do not think anyone dered from Home which ought to ing that a quantity of goods or- foundations making it necessary to spend sums engine
$65,000,- who has carefully studied the of money on roads, buildings, re-nothing was spent: engine and Appropriation Account can fail to have arrived the year before did clamations and water works that boiler, two lakhs of dollars-in fact, be struck with one or two facts, not come in until last year. One were undreained of a few years ago. only $1,986.89 was spent. There is a either the Public Works Budget item is represented in the expen- Many works that are desirable, marginal note explaining that to a was grossly over-estimated or the diture of £3,947, which is, I think, though not very urgent, have to be certain extent. It says "No work Department was grossly under-sufficient to explain almost the dropped for the present."
done while in hands of consulting staffed to carry it out; and the whole of the excess. engineers." To me this does not failure to do so is, I think, sufficient GOVERNOR'S STATEMENT. DESIRABLE WORKS DROPPED.
fully explain it, because I do not and ample proof of that fact. In H E. the Governor; To which From the extract that I have just understand who are the consulting addition to that, your Excellency, the Treasurer might have added read from your speech, Sir, it will engineers or where they are to be it is well-known that you have that the cost of stationery is very he gathered that this vote of over found, nor why it is that we cannot under consideration, and I hope much higher than it was ten years six-and-a-half million dollars was obtain their advice and opinion in will shortly embark upon, a very ago. for the carrying out of various sufficient time to start with this ad considerable Harbour development With regard to the remarks of Public Works Extraordinary which |ditional pumping plant.
scheme, and it is in connection not the Senior Unofficial Member as to were considered by the Govern- A few items lower down is the only with the figure that was set the expenditure on Public Works ment to be absolutely necessary for Stanley Mount Catchwater, another forth in the Appropriation Account Extraordinary, I have one or two the effective progress of the Colony, important work in connection with but in view of that also that I en- observations to make. The firs! is, Many works which were desirable our water in the Tytam Valley. dorse the remarks that have fallen of course, that the programme as it have had to be dropped, even so, $100,000 was to have been spent, from the Senior Unofficial Mem- appears in the Estimates is a maxi- Well Sir, if hon, members this but $804.72 was actually spent inter; and I trust that in connection dum of what we can hope to per- Council will now refer to the Draft 1922. The only marginal note we with the forthcoming Budget you form, and I am afraid we must as Appropriation Account which was have is "The "work * was only will provide for a very consider-sume always that a certain propor- circulated with the orders of the commenced near the close of the able increase in the staff of the tion of the works estimated for day for this meeting, they will find year," which does not really carry Public Works Department. that that anticipated expenditure us very much further. Another
of over six-and-a-half million important item on page 44 is the dollars for Public Works Extra- Kowloon Hospital. On that ho ordinary in 1922 has not been spital there was estimated to be carried out to the extent of little spent $220,000, whereas in fact "more than half or UAT EXPENanture. $21;115:35′′ was expended that
ROXOR
The actual relevant figures will be year. The marginal note is The Expert Advertisers & Bill Poster, found three lines from the bottom Work could not be commenced of page 50, from which It will be jas early as anticipated.”
Queen's Road C. Tel. G. 4542.
cannot be carried out for various reasons. Difficulties arise'in such matters as obtaining possession of land. Amongst the items to which the hon. member referred is the new jail. The expenditure of 15464 was not incurred as he sug- Eested merely for the purpose of keeping the item on the books of the Colony, but it Was
FRIDAY AUGUST 81 1923
DAIRY FARM NEWS.
KRAFT LOAF CHEESE
no rind--no waste-100% Cheese 80 cents per lb.
AUSTRALIAN CHEDDAR flavour unequalled 80 cents per lb.
TYRES
DOMINIO
COULOMMIER
own make 40 cents per pat.
COMPETITIVE PRICES ALT, CIZEAN STOCK
Your friends who use Royal Cord Tyres can give you some excellent advice on the choice of tyres for your own motor car..
United States Rubber Co.(S.A.) Ltd.
SOLE ARE 15: HONGKONG HOTEL GARAGE
TUBES
Royal Cord A Dominion Tyre
See this Fork Crown- It is one of the distinctive features of the
RALEIGH
THE ALL-STEEL BICYCLE
(no malleable iron castings as in ather bicycles). The rebular fork- crown.of finest steel, is for stronger than any ordinary bicvele fork- crown. It is one of the standard Raleigh features covered by the all-world Guarantee-For-Evor, Sind for "*The Book of the Raleigh,”** THE DUNLOP RUBBER CO.,
(NA) LTD.
Ben Balling, 29, Avenue Silmaris VIS, Mhanghal.
·GUARANTEED FOR EVER,
PIANOS for SALE or Hire
TSANG FOOK PIANO CO.,
Tel. 2127.
Motor Car Storing, washing and cleaning in this, our new concrete Main Garage and Service Station, Wong Nei Chong Road (Happy Valley), upper end of Race Course.
94A. Wanchai Road.
PER MONTH
$20
THE DRAGON MOTOR CAR COLISI
THE DRAGON MOTOR CAR COMPANY, LTD.
Main Garage and Harvies Station
Telephons Central 482 or 3950.