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19-We would suggest to His Excellency the desirability of appointing a Committee to in vestigate and report on the question of the staff of the Public Works Department, and we make this proposal because, as we have already stated, the policy hitherto has been to starve our Public works, and we recognize the importance of pro- viding a staff sufficient to carry on the large works now impending." --
The CHAIRMAN-Does the honourable mem. ber who has not signed the memorandum wish
make any explanati, n ?
The Hon. T H. WHITEHEAD-I prefer to leave my remarks until later on. ⠀ng
The CHAIRMAN-With regard to this mem. orandum, which the senior unofficial member a'lowed me to see before this meeting, I will lay it before His Excellency the Governor, who will no doubt deal with it at the meeting of the Council to be held to-morrow.
The Hon. C. P. CHATER-it was the inten- tion of the honourable members that a copy of the memorandum should be forwarded to the Secretary of State for the Colonies.
The CHAIRMAN---I think there can be no doubt whatever that His Excellency will forward a copy to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, As I have said, I will lay it before His Excel. Jonoy, who will no doubt deal with it to-morrow, when the estimates will be finally considered. I propose, if honourable members are agreeable, that we now proceed with the various items. THE HON. T. H. WHITEHEAD PROPOSss an
AMENDMENT,
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS; AND
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[November 25, 1899.
nhould
The COLONIAL TREASURER to know how the honcurable Chamber of Commence arri of $800,000.
equal to sarrying out urgently needed and im. portant public works, as was done with the Tytam Reserviour. If the staff is not suff. sient to do what is necessary it is not too late to vote a consideraḥla temporary or permanent The Hon. T, H. WHITEHEAD - Assordin increase. I suggest that a vote be asked for to the Governor's opening speech there will b extraordinary staff. I do not propose at pre-s surplus at the end of this year) of › abon sent to move, as I had intended at one time to $400,000. The ordinary expenditure for do, the rejection of the votes for Public Works | year is estimated at $2,888,000 and the re in the New Territory, as they ought to be gone at $3,300,000. If you take the ordinary expen- on with. I think, however, that the large outlay diture from the gross revenue you will for Polios Statious, roads, &o., necessary for that there is a surplus of $436,000 ava the opening up of the New Territory for profit-for Public Works Extraordinary: $400,000 able use should be met by means of a Silver Loan. and $436,000 make up $833,000 in the aggre it would be inequitable and impolitio to charge gate. If you refer to page six of the Estimated ' the colony's revenue with the cost of developing you will find the figures there. 1 submit that the New Territory, acquired as much in Im the Government would be justified in asking perial as in Colonial interests-insquitable be the Council to vote a much larger sum thas cause the present generation will derive small |: $330,000 for public works during the next your benefit therefrom; impolitie inasmuch as the deversion of the colony's revenue will retard the construction of urgently needed public works already unduly delayed. It is my inten- tion to submit to the Council a resolution on the subject of a Silver Loan at no very distant date.
The CAPTAIN SUFERIATENDENT OF POLICE Will members have an opportunity of looking over this memorandum ?
The CHAIRMAN-Certainly. It has been laid on the table and will be made public.
The Hoa. Dr. Ho Ka-I think it is the rule that in committee a motion need not be seconded and that anyone can speak on the| motion.
The CHAIRMAN-That is so.
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The Hon. T. H. Waithhead-I beg to move that the vote in the 1900 Estimates for "Public Works Extraordinary" be referred
THE HON. DH. HỌ KAIS VIE back to the Departments concerned for recon- sideration and to be remodelled, The Trea- The Hon. Dr. Ho Ka-With your permission, surer's Financial Returns in their amended then, I should like to make few remarks. The form which accompanied the draft Estimates honourable member who has just spoken has al- are unintelligible and cannot be correct. The luded to several inportant public works. I think final settlement of the Appropriation Bill you will find them in full detail urged upou should be postponed until these accounts are His Excelenoy in our memorandum. The oleared up.
The assets available for Publis honourable mem ber for the Chamber of Works Extraordinary in 1900 are much larger Commerce did not see it to sign that mem- than the amount in the Estimates proposed to or andam, but all that he has urged you be expended. I respectfully submit that the will find urged in the memorandum, the money proposed to be voted is not properly only difference being with regard to the re- applied, as there are many very urgent and lative importanos of the different works. We *most important works omitted but which regard all the works enumerated in the memor- demand immediate attention and should be andum, and which he has also alluded to, as being specially provided for: The actual assets avail- urgent public works which should be under able at the end of 1900 is the estimated surplus on taken at onOR, It is difficult to say which of 31st proximo-say $400,000, plus the estimated them is more important than another. All we surplus revenue over the ordinary expenditure say is that everyone of them is of very great im- during next year—say $436,000, or an aggregate portance, and we urge upon the Government that of $836,000. According to the Estimates there they should spend the entire surplus they have in is only to be expended during 1900 the sum of hand in the immediate execution of these public $331.100. on Public Works Extraordinary I works. We also wish His Excellency to forward think the Government would have been fully▲ copy of our recommendations to the Right justified in asking the Council to notion the Hon, the Scoretary of State for the Colonies, expenditure of say 5 or even $600,000. The so that the new Law Courts and the new Post Pabllo Works are, in order of their importance Offee should be at once taken in hand. I do and urgency, latrines, shelter for chair coolies not think there is any disagreement between the - at the Peak, the speedy extension of our means anofficial members with regard to the public of obtaining, storing and distributing water, a works question, which his refusal to sign Post Office, &o. More public latrines and the would seem to indicate. I want to state this extension of water supply are absolutely distinctly, because otherwise it may be thought ndeessary for the welfare of the community. that there was a split in the camp. Really we Yet on latrines it is proposed to spend only were unanimous on the subject, and I think $5,000; only $15,000 for increasing the water the only reason for his rofusing to sign supply, nothing at all on the chair coolie shel-was that he wished to put one public ter at the Peak, and nothing on a New Post Office. The latrines should be put in hand and Anished before the end of next year. I earn. eatly urge that a vote be taken for the fall am ount requisite to complete them daring 1900. I regret to note the reduction in the staff of the Public Works Department. It should be in erezzed and not reduced. In reply to a question In connection with jerry buildings put to
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honourable Dirbotor of Public Works
on
the 4th of October last, the honourable smember said:—"I have read the articles ✨referred to and think there is foundation for so the allegations. The powera possessed by my Department are defined in the Ordinances 15 of 1889 and 25 of 1891. An officer of the Depart ✨iment, assisted by an overseer, inspects building works in progress. The exceptional amount of such work in the colony at present makes an in-
rease in the staff necessary if this work of super
to be thronghly performed. The matter the attention of the Government." staff of the Department should be increased. the staff is not strong enough it would be
emonomy to obtain additional engin
+
work more important than another. With regard to the motion, I think it is useless. I believe that His Excellency the Governor is quite as anxious as we are to forward public works, and as we have now a large surplus, which will fulfil the condition imposed by the Secretary of State for the Colonien-namely, that we must have a surplus of over $100,000 before undertaking any extraordinary public works of any magnitude every effort will be made to push them forward. We shall have good balance next year and we have a balance al- ready in hand of over $400,000. and under these eiroamstanses I think we are justified in desiring to have all the important public works gone on with at once. As I have already said, I think His Excellency the Governor is quite as anxions as ourselves that these public works should be taken in hand, and I think the me:norándu1n just laid before the committee will receive every consideration from His Excellency and will receive his cordial support, so that I do not feel justified in supporting the amendment of the honourable member for the Chamber of Com
The CHAIRMAN-Do you think we should be justifled in voting this $436,000 surplus in addition to the sum of $331,1007 This in round figures would amount to about $800,000,-
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The Hon T H WHITEHEAD-I would not go so far as that, but I think the Government would be justified in asking $600,000 inatend of $400,000.
The COLONAL TREASURER observed that the rovenas being larger than the expenditure the money would be still in hand and would be available for supplemental votes during the year.
The CHAIRMAN—Although no account is taken of it in the Estimates, the surplus, as the Colonial Treasurer has pointed out, will be avail- able. His Excellency the Governor, in his open- ing remarks, informed the Council that it was his intention to expand that surplus on public works. That remark was made by His Ex- cellency in his opening speech to the Council, as honourable members will remember. CANLİ
The Hon. T. H. Whitehead-I quite reool- loot His Excellency's statement and remarki, but all the same I think the Government would be justified in asking the Council to vote the increased amonut which I have mentioned. ****
The CHAIRMAN remarked that it was îm. possible to bring forward an estimate showing an expenditure in excess of the revenue, stojan na
The Hon, T. H. WHITEHEAD-But in the one case it is practically an assured surplus, whereas you are dealing with one far distant which might not be realised. Thers being such a large balanos at the end of this year together with the balance from last year would justi- [fy the Government in asking the Council to expend that money in the course of next year on urgently needed public works which have been unduly delayed.
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The CHAIEMAN-His Excellency the Go- vernor, as I have informed the Council, par- poses to proceed with these urgent publie works and to apply to the Council for supple- mentary votes. I noticed that in the memor andum prepared by the unofficial members the policy of starving public works" is referred to It is only fa`r to point out that the delay in carry- ing out public works has in a great measure been due to the fact that the colony has been called upon to meet very heavy unforeseen expendi- ture owing to the frequent visitations of plagão, and this unforeseen expenditure has been met without any corresponding increase in taxation. Money which if these sad events had not occurred would have been available for public works had to be expended in measures taken to check the epidemios of plague.
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD—But if it is the intention of the Government and His Ex- cellency to expend that money, the staff of the Public Works Department instead of being increased is being reduced.
The CHAIRMAX—I am not aware that the staff of the Public Works Department is being reduced, and I should say that if public works are to be pushed on next year so far from the" staff being reduced it would be absolutely ascodaar to increase it. That is a matter which will of course require consideration. If an necessary that increase of course will made in order to carry out the public which are regarded as pressing The Hon. T. H. WRITI is a surplus available and is seriously intended to should make the Increased staff.. The of Public Works