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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PENSS AND
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posed to renew the Queen's Statue pier, bút wé | with the qualification of an élémentary odden- | are provided swith Bu will have to let that remain for another year, tion in Government schools. The salary of English education The other miscellaneous items are $22,000 for a Chinese clerk here comparer favourably in the Colony whose completing certain piers commenced this year, with the salary which an English clerk of | have advantage of it. 835,000 for minor works, $5,000 for the renewal similar training gets in London. There is one | Order, I have already of survey works in the New Territories necessary further improvement I am désirous of making of prisoners via the quils: to prevent boundary disputes, and $9,000 for in the subordinate service, and that is that Superintendent of Polios ✨ hus not il yet reclaiming the Taipo fish pond, to prevent what entrance to it should be by competitive examinas explained to me, what gounsee this ) decreusé, "belleve will be an important place in the tion, instead of us at present by the somewhat | but it is deeldedly very marked, › During the future getting into an unsatisfactory state of haphazard selection on the advice of some senior | first sight months of 1938 the average number sanitary condition. Under the Public Health clerk in the office. I may mention in connec' of prisoners in jail wad:721, while during the Paid Buildings Ordinance I have estimated only | tion with the salary of dollar officers that in first seight (months of 1908 it was 518, a $20,000 áá Kgainst $160,000 this year. This 1904 the total amount of those ‹ salaries was decrease of 205, «There; is (also a dedrenge tu 820,000 is entirely for compensation we have to 8543,472 whereas in 1907 it will be $683,486;|| the number of destitute Europesus in the pay under Section 180 of the Ordinance. No that is to say we pay 22 per cent, more for our Colony, on which subject members will remember amount has been included this year for the junior clerical staff now than we did three years there was much discusion and; some«léğitla- resumption of insanitary property for which ago. There is a third class, that of the tion last year. I think ¬the d-gislation then $150,000 was voted last year. I will refer to messengers and coolies, whose salaries have been annoted, and the other measures taken at this omission presently. For waterworks pro- under consideration. A system of good conduct the same time, have not been without vision has been made for $536,600 against pay was introduced into the Post Office and effect. During the whole of filet year $558,000 last year. 8286,300 of this amount is produced fairly satisfactory results. It has now 56 vagrants were dealt with as such, in the required for the completion of the Kowloon been extended to the messengers and coolies of House of Detention; this year to date fliere have Gravitation Scheme, and the Tytam Tuk all departments. Passing from the question of only been 25. With regard to Defence I have First Section. $200,000 is for starting general administration to that of Public Health, to inform the Council that I am expecting the Tytam Tak Second Section in accordance I have to say that whereas I possibly may not the arrival here in a few days of a jointɛnaval with my promise to the Council (applause). be quite so satisfied as I was that the very and military Committee under the presidency of I think I have now explained the items of stringent sanitary measures we adopt have much a distinguished officer, Sir John Uwen, to go estimated expenditure sufficiently to assist effect in preventing and checking the prevalence into the question of the sufficiency or otherwise hon. members in following them in the of plague, still I believe that owing to those of our armaments. We have in the course of printed estimates before them, and I will measures this Colony enjoys better health than the year increased our defensive strength to now proceed, as I did last year, to set forth other Far Eastern ports. One has only to some extent by adding to the number and the proportion of the total expenditure which compare the figures in connection with the efficiency of the Volunteers. Whereas on this has been allotted to the different heads of service. health of Hongkong with those of Singapore, date last year there were 264 Volunteers and the Whereas in 1906 5.96 per cent, of the expenditure Saigon or Manila to see that this is so. The Reserve Association numbered 186, at the was allotted to non-effective charges, in 1907 sanitary measures to which I refer are now the present time there are 277 Volunteers while 6.33 per cent. of the expenditure is told off subject of an inquiry by a Commission which, as the Reserve Association numbers 249; in for these. General administration including the Council is aware, I appointed on the 10th May all 450 civilians were last year available the Post Office in 1906 took up 15.12 to go into this important matter and inform for the defence of the Colony, this year-the per cent.; in 1907, 15.95: Public health in me whether we could make any change in the number is 528. I am not entirely sa'isfi ›d with 1906, 11.15; in 1907, 11.45: Public instruction administration of our laws which would leave this result. I should like this Colony to set in 1906, 2.73; in 1907, 2.82: Public order in them as effectual but less irksome. The committes an example to the rest of the Empire in this 1906, 13.41; in 1907 13.92: Defence, 19,69; judging from the interim report submitted to matter. and although probably it will not in 1907, 19,85; Public works in 1906, 31.4; me, are working with great energy and con be possible, for it to be enacted I hope that in 1907, 29.68. You will see therefore there is soientiousness, and I trust that their labour will before I leave the Colony it will be recognised a slight increase in the percentage on all the be beneficial to the public of the Colony. Unforthat every British-born male in the Colony main divisions except on public works on tunately their investigations have brought to must prepare himself for its defence (applause). which there is unfortunately a decrease; light the possibility that the law has not In the matter of Public Works, and dealing in but 30 per cent. of our total expendi- always been administered by Sanitary the first instanos with the Canton Kowloon ture is nevertheless a fairly satisfactory amount Department Officers subordinates with om Railway, I am able to inform the Connoil thát to devote to public works. We spend rather plete honesty. I hope, and I am sure I am negotiations are at length proceeding between more than one-fifth of our income on non expressing the hope of the whole Council the Chinese authorities and the representative effective charges and general administration that those persons against whom sharges have of the British and Chinese Corporation for a rather more than three-tenths on public health, been brought will be able to clear themselves loan for the Canton section. Our section, is public instruction and public order; one fifth on effectually of those charges. It would be sad making progress, not possibly as rapidly as I defence and three-tenths on public works. if in any body of Englishmen we should fail to should like, though Council may rest assured Before sitting down I propose once more find that scrupulous honesty which used to be that I shall watch the work very closely. to follow the precedent of last year and put and I hope still is characteristic of the English (Applause). In the matter of Water Works before members a few facts and views on the nation. The third matter I wish to speak we have as I have stated allotted $200,000
Tytam policy of the Government. Dealing in the about, in connection with public health, is my for
second section. It may be first instance with general administration, unfulfilled promise to carry on continuously possible to spend more than this. If so I shall I wish to explain to them what is being done the resumption of insanitary property. Since not hesitate to come to the Council for a special in a matter which greatly interests the arrived here in 1904 we have cleared out two vote. One of the items which I wished to have majority of the council-the official majority extensive blocks of buildings-the Kau U Fong appear on the estimates for this yeat, but which and that is compensation for the decline in the and Mee Lun Lage resumptions. Ia clearing out does not appear, is the typhoon shelter. So long dollar value of sterling salaries. As I informed these blocks we have displaced a considerable as we have those water works on hand, - to the Council on 17th May last I telegraphed to the population. There is not much building going which I have referred, there is very little chance Secretary of State and put before him a sugges-on, and one wonders what has happened to that of doing anything in connection -- with: this tion for such compensation on a definite scheme. population-whether it has left the Colony or shelter unless the Chamber of Commerce should "The reply of the Secretary of State was not crowded into neighbouring houses neither suggest raising the Tight Dues to provide encouraging. He said he was not prepared to result would be particularly satisfactory. We fands for constructing the shelter, in which ease consider any general scheme for compensating endeavoured to sell the Kan U Fong property such a reasonable suggestion might be adopted officers owing to the rise of the dollar. I then set by auction, but when we put it up there were (applause). When going through last your the forth the reasons why I considered such compen- no bidders. These facts seemed to indicate públic works that were must necessary Kalluded sation which of course could not be claimed that we should pause before clearing out to the deepening of the harbour, or Was then under the agreement entered into by civil further areas, and when added to this there thought that this was ar matterɛóf «most servants would be expedient, and I made various arises.the difficulty of cutting down the expendi-serious importance, but on survey (which was détailed suggestions how I thought compensation ture so as to be covered by the revenue I made for me by the kindness of the Naval might be given in a manner fair both to the decided to omit from the estimates the item Commander-in-Chief has satisfied me, and Colony and to its servants. I was only able to for resumption of insanitary_properties. The has satisfied, as I understand, the Chamber of send that despatch home on 18th July, and principal change this year in Publis Instruction Commerce that the harbour is not appreciably have not yet received a reply. In another is the introduction of evening continuation silting up. There are slight: alterations matter, that of dollar salaries, I have had a some- classes at Queen's College. I have already in the sea bed, but, the total area of deep what freer hand. I took up this question of explained to the Council the object of these. water is not suffering dimination. It was A salaries of subordinates soon after arriving in the Otherwise I am continuing to move in the great relief to the Government. and to Colony in 1904 and in 1905 introduced a grading direction undicated last year of improving the the shipping authorities - to z réalise į this. scheme of salaries into the Post Office, Harbour education that we give to Chinese boys rather I have already, confessed ɛ to sɔybrala broken Department, Magistracy and Education De- than extending the number to whom we give it promises. There is yet another which I must partment. In the estimates now before you We have done away with the junior classes at mention. I promised that we should pravide scheme has been extended to all Queen's College and extended the senior classes. for laying Ios House Street › with wood the departments. You will remember it I hope that the three distrist schools, at parement in these estimates. The mecommry involves increments in junior grades being Wanchai in the east of Viotoris, Saivingpuu amount has not been included, but I shall be given annually instead of biennally, and in the west of Victoria, and Yaumati at Kowloon prepared to bring up a special vote for in senior grades being double what will be more feeders to Queen's College than it The consideration of public works Jends by were before. It also provides a more con- they used to be. I look forward to the time one naturally to that of the (progrem : of
low of promotion. I consider the present when we can also make Anglo-Chinese: schools industries in this Colony. The air one to the clerks; salaries of at Aberdeen, and in the east and west of the New promises to be a very cảm £50 and £220 are reasonably good Territory also feeders to that college. I think {n} this respect. Mining y in. for men who have entered the service that when that is done and when all our schools Territory is now apparently: adván
that
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