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such' allowances drawn by Europeans. One of the conditions of the grant of double exchange compensation was that language allowances should hot carry exchange compensation. Therefore exchange compensation is no longer drawn on these allowances,
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Hon Mr. POLLOCK put the following questions to the Director of Public Works:
Where is the site of the large flushing tank which you referred to in your answer to my first question to you at the last meeting of the Legislative Council? What is the con. tract price for such tank and what is the date which is fixed for its completion P 2 What materials are being used for mending the roads in (a) the City of Victoria; aud (b) the Kowloon Peninsula ? 3. Who recommended the use of such materials, and for how long have such materia's be in Tise ?
Is it not practicable to procure a more durable mixture for mending those r ads? What Officers of the Pab ic Works Department (giving their names and official designatious) are responsible for th supervision of the mending of those roads?
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS replied as follows:-
1. Adjoining Garden Road and in the rear of the Volunteer Headquarters. It is not desirable for obvious reas ns, to make public the amounts of such contracts. 21st N rember, 1903.
2: (a). Granite macadam ou the low-lerel roads and certain portions of the high-level roads. Concrete, composed of lime, cement, broken granite and led earth or sand, on the high-level roads generally. (b). Granite macaism on some of the principal roads and decomposed granite on the remainder. The use of the first mentioned material is being extended. (3). I am unable to state who recommended the use of these materials. They have probably been used since the foundation of the Colon. A more durable material than the granits msosdam, which is assumed to be the material more particularly referred to, was tried by the late Director of Pablie Works, Mr. Ormsby namely gneiss or bluestone. In consequence of the complaints which arose regarding the unevenness of the roads so laid and the resulting noisiness of the traffic over them, the use of this material has been discontinued and much of it has been removed. I am not aware that any satisfactory, paving for roads has yet been discovered, which would be suitable for local conditions and reasonably economical. Carefully selected granite macadam is in my opinion the best material available locally. The names and designations of officers engaged upon maintenance of roads are as follows:- Mr. H. P. Tooker, Executive Engineer; Mr. E. Dougherty, Overseer; Mr. A. H. Nimmo, Foreman; Messrs. Portaris, Lee Sing. Li Yent Sing and U Pat, Assistant Furemen. There is at present a vacancy for an overseer of roads, which is being filled by the appointment of a qualified man obtained from England.
NEW MEMBER.
Hon. R. H. Basil Taylor, Harbour Master, took the oath as a member of the Council, in succession to Commander R. Murray Rumsey.
BOUNDARIES OF THE CITY.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the first reading of a Bill e titled an Ordinance to define the boundaries of the city of Victoria.
The COLONIAl Secretary seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
MERCHANT SHIPPING ORDINANCE EXEMPTIONS.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the first reading of a Bill entitled an Ordinance to exempt certain ships from the requirements of Section 4 of the Merchant Shipping Con- solidation Ordinance No. 36 of 1899.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconde:l, and the motion was agreed to,
The Objects and Reasons attacted to the Bill were as follows:--To relieve British shipowners trading between Hongkong and places on the rivere of the adjacent mainland from certain disadvantages under which they suffer in competition with others trading on such rivers by reason of the necesity at present imposed upon them of complying with the provisions of the 4th section of the Merchant Shipping Con- solidation Ordinance, 18-9, in respect of the number of certificated officers to be carried.
This Ordinance is designed to place British owners in this respect upon a footing of greater
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equality in competing with others for the trade of the rivers than at present exists,
ENTICING AWAY MARRIED WOMEN.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the first reading of a Bill entitled an Ordinance to further amend the Magis rates Ordinance 890. The COLONIAL SECRETARY seco ded, and the motion was agreed to.
The Objects and Reasons attached to the Bill were as follows:-To check the growth of a habit of enticing away married women from their husbands reported as becoming prevalent in the New Territories. As the civil remedy is in such cases, owing to the circumstanees surrounding the parsons affected, of no practical value it is proposed to make it an offens punishable on summary conviction to receive or harbour a woman married according to the law or custom of China who, without reasonable excuse, leaves the protection of her husban. The Bill de lares cruelty or failure properly to maintain a wife to b reasonable excuse for her leaving her husband.
THE ESTIMATES FOR 1971. The COLONIAL SECRETARY moved the second reading of the Bill entitled An Ordinanc; to apply a sum not exceeding Five million two hundred and thirty-eight thousand seven_hau- dred and nin ty-two dollars to the Public Service of the year 1901.
The COLONIAL TRE SURER Secourled, and the motion was agreed to.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY them moved that the Bill be referred to th, Finance Committee.
The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and, the motion was agreed to.
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[October 5, 1903.
upon the Sanitary Department vote of $187,522 said they all admitted the necessity of precau- tions being taken against plague, but they could not help feeling regret at the enormous figures brought before them. There was a big staff provided for and he saw there were two items also of $80,000 for scavenging and $20,000 for coolies. He would like to ask whether, when the plague was not with us, there was any saving effected or how these plague coolies were kept employed, because he supposed that, as with every other sort of body that was not constantly exercised, the staff was apt to get a little bit rasty. This was the only opportunity the taxpayers had of looking at this account, and it was only fair that they should be quite clear in their minds that for the fairly liberal pay they gave to those men, good work was being done. It was a very sad fact to notice that the total Medical and Sanitary and charges came to remetting like $800,00 or about 20 per cout, if one available inc me and they would be relieved if they got an assuranco from the Chairman of the Sanitary Board that this money was being well spent.
Hon. Dr. ATKINS N r-plied tha, the increase of the staff was largely due to the recommendation of the sanitary experts, which have been approv- ed by the Government; and the most important of these recommendations was that a permane it plague staff should be appointed quite dis inct from the ordinary staff of sanitary insectors; and that the staff should be increased correspondingly to the ine casing number of plagus cases tey had to deal with. This was approved of, and au organised trained staff to deal with these annually recurring epi lemics
The Council adjurul till Monday uext of plague had been established. It would be
at noou.
FINANCE COMMITTEE..
A meeting of the Finance Committes wat held immediately after the Council, the Colonial Secretary (Hon. F. H. May, C.M.G.) presiding, and the consideration of the Estimates item by item was entered upou.
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ECCLESIASTICAL GRANTS,
The proposed vote under the heading Ecclesiastical" was $2,400, made up as fol- lows-Grant for R.C. chaplain for gaol and hospital, 609; grants for Protestant chaplains for gaol and hospital $1,400; graut for burials, atc. $100.
Hon. Mr. STEWART said he believed this work
was always increasing. The number of sick people in hospital and prisoners in gaol got larger and larger each year, and there were more people to be attended to. If the various denominations would do this work it was better than getting it done in any other way; and he thought there was a general opinion among the unofficial members that this rote might without any injustice be ipcreased,
Hon. Sir PAUL CHATER said he was of the same opinion. It was the view of the unofficial mimbors that the rote should be doubled They would ask the Chairman to bring the matter before the Governor as a recommenda. tion from them.
The CHAIRMAN said that the vote was increased by $200 as from 1st January of this year on the application of the Church Body,
Hou. Sir PAUL CHATER remarked that they
were aware that it was increased in 1902 for 1903. There was no proposal in the Estimates to increase it further neat year. The vote nOW stood at $2,400. They asked that it should be doubled $1,800. They hopel the Chairman would bring it before His Excellency.
The CHAIRMAN said be certainly would do so, but he thought hon. members in support of this recommendation should furnish some figures showing th s rvices rendered. His opinion was that if there were increased services rendered to the large number of patients in hospital and prisoners in gaol the Committee ought to have some facts before them. If they established a case he had no doubt His Excellency would bring it under the notice of the Secretary of State for the Colonies; an increase could not be made without his sanction.
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evident to a 1 hon. members that it was an im- provement to have a trained staff at their disposal rather than to depend on men they might be able to pick up ha hazard as the cases of plagus increased in number In this scheme it was positive y laid down that there shou'd be a certain number of officers employed, and that the number should be adde' to in a certain ratio to the number of cases. When there were not more than 20 cases a week the staff was at a certain strength; if the cases increased to not more than 50 the staff was increased correspon dingly; and if there were not more than 80 a still further increase was made, As the epidemic declined so the number of those employed decreased in a corresponding manner; or, as the cases diminished in number so did the staff. The estimate for next year was based on the number of cases there were this year. With reference to the $80,900 for soavnging the City and Hill district, referred to by the hon. member, that sum was paid to the contractor for removing refuse from the houses in Victoria and the outlying villages and for removing the street refusa also. He was paid so much a month and engaged the coolies himself. 'I he other votes of $2,000 for coolie hire was required for the coolies that had to be taken on in addition to the ordinary staff to deal with plague cases As they occurred. They removed rubbish from in- fented houses and took clothing to the dis- infecting station and were employed for any other purpose that might be required, such as conveying water for cleansing purposes to the houses when water was scarce. As the epidemic decreased, these goolies wero of course discharged. At present they had none such employed. He thought that went to show that a due check was being kept on the expense. Certainly it did seem high, but he might state that the expenditure for the first six months of this year on plague had been $110,000 less than the expenditure for corresponding period 1 st year, notwithstand- ing that they had 1,000 more cases of plague to deal with this year.
Hon. Mr. STEWART-I am very glad to have heard this statement.
The CHAIRMAN thought the figures given by the Chairman of the Sanitary Board showed th m. just what could be done with a little organisation. There was no doubt that since things had been authorised in the Estimates instead of being charged upon open vote a very great saving ha i been effected. Every endeavour would be made to 800 that the public got value for their money. The increasing expenditure in the Department had caused the Hou. Mr. STEWART, in making some remarks Government a good deal of anxiety. Some time
Hon. Sir PAUL CHATER-We would like you to mention it.
'The CHAIRMAN--Certainly. The vote was passed,
PLAGUE EXPENSES.