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THE
BUDGET.
NEW LIQUOR TAXES.
INCREASED CHARGES FOR WATER
SUPPLIED TO SHIPS.
ADDITIONAL FEES AT GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS. ·
LOAN PROPOSED TO COVER COST OF SHING MUN VALLEY SCHEME.
The Budget for 1997 was introduced by the Colonial Secretary at the meeting of the Legislative Council yesterday afterpooR ...
The following review of the revenue and expenditure of the past fow years showed be financial position of the Colony:
1923
1024
1925
Revenue.. Expenditure. Surplus of Assets.
$24,783,763
$24,209,640
523,244:363
1926 (Revd. Esti) $19,486,657 1927 (Estimates) $20,407,397
$21,571,905
$15,971,495
$26,726,428.
$13,107,549
$28,266,817
$ 8,113,492
$24,557,786 $22,194,702
$ 2,742,353
Estimated deficit on the year $1.767,305. The estimated revenue of $20,407,397 for 1927 includes $100,000 which it is expected will be obtained from increased charges to be made for water supplied to shipping and 399,000 which it is anticipated will be derived from the "additional rates to be charged at the Government Hospitals."
The estimated supplies of assets at the end of 1928 will be, as shown above, 82,742,333. As the whole of this balance is locked up in building loans, subsidiary coin and other assets which are not immediately realisable,. it has been decided to meet the estimated deficit of $1.787,308 on the year 1997 by increasing the liquor taxes and by raising a loan to cover the cost of the Shing Mun. Valley Water Scheme..
The additional taxes on liquors, details of which are given elsewhere, are expected to yield approximately 2600,000.
The whole of the cost of the Shing Man Valley Schema will be charged to a loan to be raised at an appropriate time. Meanwhile the scheme. will be financed by borrowing. The amount which will have been expended. on the scheme up to the end of 1926 is estimated at $2,000.000 and a further sum of $800,000 will be required in 1927 and about $5035,000 in It does not 1945. This will complete the first portion of the scheme. provide for bringing the water across the harbour.
If a loan of $3,355,000-the whole cost of the scheme-is raised (the matter is now being considered by the Secretary of State) it will free $2.050.000 the amount already expended, to meet the estimated deficit for 1927;
Provided the new. liquor taxes yield what is expected this deficit will be approximately $1,000,000 so that about $1,000,000 will be available to "cover any unforeseen expenditure.
The first reading of the Supply Bill covering the estimates was seconded by the Colonial Treasurer and the Bill was read a first time.
Council then adjourned until Thurs day, November 4th, when the Unofficial Members will initiate a discussion on the proposals,
The COLONIAL SECRETARY, in introducing the estimates said:-
Your Excellency,-In accordance with your instructions I rise to move the First
bill intituled Reading of A
An
|
Revenue and Expenditure of Recent Years.
But, Sir, it is not the duty either of Government or of individuals to throw caution to the winds. The Government has been accused of falling down and worshipping the ideal of Retrench ment.' At the risk of wearying the Council I would invite its attention to a few facts and figures which speak for themselves.
1926
the budget for 1997 the Government has therefore been faced with three possible edures,
1. To restrict expenditure, within the
estimated revenue,
1. To increase the revenue so as to
meet the estimated expenditure, 3. To resort to borrowing, and it is with these three possibilities before us that the budget now laid before you has been framed. When the details of the Budget have been examined I hope that Honourable Members will agree that it has been framed in what I would term A spirit of sober optimism. We are Justified in being optimistic, but as Sir R. E. Stubbs pointed out last year time will be required to re-establish our posi- tion and with China distracted by civil war and internal commotion trade will still be difficult even after the special hardships recently imposed upon this Colony have been removed.
has not been sought by any fetitions reduction of votes below what will ob viously be required. Where it has been show that Departments could not be eficiently carried on during the cur rent year without supplementary, sup ply, the votes have been increased so as to obviats so far as possible
those continual applications for supple mentary supply which have been 30 feature of the work of prominent à the Finance Committed during the cut- rent year.
The Clerical Service.
I invite the attention of Honourable Members to the new Head 3 Senior Clerical and Accounting Staff. This head represents an attempt to do for the Senior Clerical and Accounting Staff what has already been done for the Junior Clerical Staff. The provision of the individual salaries has been deleted from the vari- ous Heads under which the salaries As act out in the printed Estimates now formerly appeared, and the officers bave before you we have estimated our revenus been grouped in a classified scheme which for 1927 at 80,407,397 which though it offers considerable advantages in adminis is less by 3060,316 than the original tration and improved prospects to the estimate for the current year is 8920,740 | officers concerned while it enables the more than the revenue we now expect to Government to avoid the almost inevit- realize. These estimates include certainable anomalies of the present system, comparatively small additions to our Members of the Finance Committee will sources of revenue which, in present cire no doubt remonber that the details of camstances the Government feels justified the scheme were laid before them before in tapping. These are first an increase the matter was referred to the Secretary inwater charges estimated to bring in of State. The distribution of the officera about $100,000. It is proposed as from comprised in the scheme is set out in 1st January next to increase the charge Appendix I. of the printed Estimates. for water supplied to shipping by water boats from 60 cents to $1.00 per 1,000 gallons, and for wharf and building supplies from 75 cents to 81.00 per 1,000 gallons.
The Colony has recently expended very large sums in increasing and improving the water supply, and it is felt that these increased charges are fully justified. The rates for water for shipping at present charged in Hongkong are far below those in force in most of the other Far Eastern Porta The Shing Mun Valley supply is beyond reproach both in quantity and in quality and the charge will be only $1.00 per 1,000 gallons as against 82.00 and Rs. 6/- per 1,000 gallons in Singapore and Colombo respectively.
Secondly in connection with representa tions which have been made by the local Medical Profession it has been decided to increase the rates charged in Government Hospitals to 1st and 2nd Class Patients to cover to some extent the cost of Medical Treatment. An increase in revenue of 838,000 is anticipated from this change.
Tho increase in the cost of Head 1 Junior Clerical Service is chiefly due to the stipulated incrementa, but there are in all twelve new appointments. Five additions have been made to the Legal Departments, 4 to the Colonial Secre- tary's Office, 3 to the Treasury and two each to the Audit and Post Office. It has been possible to make reductions in some Departments. Details will be found in Appendix 2.
It has been considered advisable to raise the initial salary of shroffs who are required to give security from $450 to $600 or in some cases $700, an alteration which involves an increase of $2,800 en
this Head.
Treasury.
One Assistant Crown Solicitor is pro- vided for. The present system under which the Crown Solicitor's Department is responsible for collecting all, suns due from defaulters in the payment of sums due to Government has proved too great
burden for that Department and it has been decided after careful consideration to recommend the creation of a new post Altered Form of Estimates. Before passing on to the details of the of Assistant Crown Solicitor attached to Estimates of Expenditure I would invite the Treasury who will so far as possible the attention of the Council to the altered deal with all legal work connected with form of the estimates.' The various the Treasury and Estate Duty Depart- Heads of Expenditure are divided into ments and so enable much needed relief numbered sub-heads, of which the total to be given to the over-burdened De- cost of the Personal Emoluments of any partments of the Crown Soliciter and particular Head forms the first. The Attorney-General.
Audit Department. Sub-Head Personal Emolumenta is fol-
One additional Assistant Auditor is lowed by the sub-heads under Other Charges and Special Expenditure after provided for. The Government attaches which the total expenditure for the Head the greatest importance to the prompt is shown. The details of the sub-head and regular check by Audit on all re- venue and expenditure accounts, and is Personal Emoluments are printed as a kind of appendix to each main Head sad antiafied that this cannot be adequately the numbers in each class or grade are maintained with the existing Audit Staff. shown in parallel columns for 1926 and 1927 for convenience of comparison. It is hoped that Honourable Members and Heads of Departments will find the new form more convenient in use."
The exchange rate of the dollar bas the rate adopted in the 1928 Estimates
equivalent of all sterling expenditure.
Post Office.
The present Accountant and the présent Superintendent of the Money Order. Office, after many years of faithful ser vice are both approaching the period of retirement. A new Accountant to be" ence in England is now provided for and
In the year 1923 we had a revenue Ordinance to apply & eum not exceeding of. $24,783,763 and an expenditure of been taken at 28. Od. insted of 2a, 20. recruited if possible with Fostal experi- seventeen million saren hundred and 821,571,905 and our surplus of assets over forty one thousand five hundred and liabilities at the end of the year was with a resulting increase in the dollarit is intended that he shall in due course forty three dollars to the Public Service $15,971,495. In 1924 our revenue was $24.200,640 and our experditura-826,276,423 of the year 1927, and before proceeding, and our surplus balance was reduced to I should just like to remind Honourable Members that the total shown in the Bill 813,107,549. Our revenue in 1923 was differs from the total shown in the print $23,244,365, our expenditure 828,280,817 ed Estimates of expenditure by the and our surplus fell to 85,113,482 with amount of the military contribution and which to meet any deficit on the accounts Mun Valley. Water Seheme-a matter to arrangements made by the British Postal
for the year 1926..
Total Estimated Expenditure. The total estimated expenditure as you will see from page 12 of the Frinted excluded all expenditure on the Shing
Estimates is $92,101,702 and from this is
be responsible for supervising all the Enancial work of the Post Office, the separate post of Superintendent of the A large saving is anticipated under the Money Order Office being abolished. subhead Carriage of Mails owing to new
Authorities.
.
.
which I will refer later. The Estimate Public Debt Charges. These are, of
Now the Estimates for 1928 were framed shows a reduction of $1,585,913 on the
Importa and Exports. Offies. course, included in the totals of expendi- ture to which I shall refer in the course soon after the strike and the commence original and of 82,663,084 on the revised
Under Personal Emoluments there is" ment of the boycott and in the reasonable estimate of expenditure for the current of my remarks.
Your Excellency has entrusted me with expectation that the boycott would short year and will leave us with a deficit of an increase of one European and three the important task of addressing the ly be removed. With the knowledge that 81,787,305. To meet this I shall at a later Chinese Bevenue. Officers. It is antici Council on the Financial situation of the there was substantial surplus to fall back period in to-day's proceedings lay before pated that increased supervision will re- Colony, on the revenue which we hope upon in case of need, revenue was you certain proposals estimated to pro-sult in an increase of revenue which will much more than meet the ingreased cost to obtain in the next Financial year and estimated at 891,387,743 and expenditure duce an additional revenue of $600,000.
The balance the Government proposes There is an anticipated saving of 225,000 on the measures which for the order and at 893,790,815. The optimism of auch a good Government of the Colony you budget was justifiable but events have to meet by charging the whole of the in the cost of raw opium.
The boycott has lasted Shing Mun Valley Scheme to a loan to
Harbour Department, are now proposing for the Council's gone against us.
through more than three quarters of the be raised at an appropriate time and It is I think unnecessary for me to em- adoption.
year and although, as I have already meanwhile to finance the Scheme by bor-phasize the importance to this Colouy An Optimistic Spirit. Your Excellency has already addressed remarked, it has neither paralyzed us rowing. The amount which will have of the Ilarbour which is indeed the cause the Council on the political situation. nor undermined the foundations of our been expended on the Scheme up to the and reason of the Colony's existence. It It is a situation not frea from anxiety, prosperity, it has affected us temporarily end of 1928 is estimated at $2,050,000. a is all important that our splendid hat but the events of the last few days have and has reduced our estimated revenue by further sum of 8800,000 is required in bour should be efficiently atministered justified us in framing our budget in something under ten per cent. so that 1027 and about 8505,000 in 1928. This and the Government after careful con- our revised estimate stands at $19,486,657. will complete the first portion of the sderation of a very full report by the an optimistic spirit, confident as we are
Our expenditure on the other hand it Scheme and place the water supply of present Harbour Master in
which he in the inherent strength of the geogra has not been possible to keep within the Kowloon and for shipping beyond any pointed out the inadequacy of the pre- phical position of the Colony. But while we are justifed in optimism we are not estimate. The difficulties of sudden re probability of shortage for an indefinite sent staff has decided to recommend to
trenchment were explained by the late period. It does not provide for bringing this Council the following increases: justified in pursuing a policy of exlovernor when he introduced the budget the water across the Harbour to Hong-
One Deputy Harbour Master. “ travagance and in view of the recent in October 1925 and these difficulties have kong Island; the Government does not public advocacy of a "bold and pro-
been more than fully realized. The posi- feel justified at the present time in pro- gressive policy it is well that, we should tion did not clear up as early as Sir E. ceeding with this portion of the original pause for a moment and take stock of E. Stubbs then hoped, and so far from scheme. our position.
(The post of Assistant Harbour Master being retained on a lower sahiry,}(d Two Boarding Officers. One Junk Inspector. Two Marine Surveyors One Sterfographer.
The loan proposal is at present before For over a year this Colony has been being able to put before you a supple- subjected to an illegal restraint on trade, mentary programme of Public Works the Secretary of State and the Gotfra- such as His Excellency" envisaged we which could not but affect the revenue have found it necessary to supplement went in awaiting his decision. If the of the Colony and the general prosperity of its people; and it was unfortunate that many of the votes for the works which Proposal is approved a sum of 82,050,000 The increase in salaries owing to these will be made available to meet the new posts is 833,344 but the Government this attack came upon us at a time when were actually included in the 1923 estimated deficit and should the estimates feels justified in asking for this increase the peak of a boom had just been passed without serious detriment they have been of just under $1,000,000 to meet any may be in a position to deal efficiently estimates. Where economies were possible prove correct there should be a balance in order that the Harbour Department and the inevitable, reaction had begun effected; where supplementary supply unforeseen expenditure. The necessity for with that increase in business which we If I am correctly informed trading com- was found necessary the Council has been charging the Shing Mun Water Scheme confidently anticipate on the return of ditions in this Colony were not in supplied with the fullest information to laan was foreshadowed by the lafe normal trading conditions. The present healthy condition in the early part of laat when the votes were asked for, and, but Governor in his Budget speeches in 1924 staff has found it a matter of the greatest year; there had been a large volume of for the heavy, expenditure of 8748,085 and 126. So long-sa-there were surplus difficulty to cope with the work now fall unwise and extravagant speculation, "and" the contraction of business which had this years share of the cost of repairing balances available Sir R. Stubbs ing upon it and is inadequate to deal already set in was accelerated by the re the damage caused by the great storm in rightly refrained from proposing addi- with any considerable increase.
July last, it would have been possible tional taxation or the raising of a loan; striction caused by the illegal boycott- to restrict the total expenditure very the position has however now been reach Rescue Tug disappears as the duties will The separate post of Master of the The Colony has surmounted this double closely to the total estimate. As it is ed when the balances are exhausted and be performed by one of the additional crisis with less loss and damage than however we anticipate an expenditure of the Government proposes to act on lines. Boarding Masters... might reasonably have been feared, and 324,887,788 which is 81,087,171, over the suggested by Sir R. E. Stubbs at the close with none of those disasters which our estimate and will leave an estimated of his speech when introducing the last mention is the sum of $40,000 under The only other item calling for special small but. vociferous group of enemies, deficit of 86,371,120 on the years working. Budget. not only predicted but with thaf supreme
Special Expenditure for a launch to re- The Courses Open for 1927. ....... 1 not propose, Sir, to weary Hon-place the Fictoria which is now about disregard of truth which so frequently distinguishes them announced as actual The effect of this is to reduce our ourable Members by referring in any 40 years old and has been condemned as cecurrances. The Government feels justi- estimated surplus of assets over liabilities minute detail to the increases and de-anfit for further service. fied in assuming that we are now at the at the end of 1926 to 82,742,353. The creases in the various leads of pe the
Fire Brigade andir of our period of depression, that whole of this balance is locked up in ture. Full details will be found in the our grant merchant houses, with their building loans made in the days of snuraal Sessional Paper which is in the Under this head there is a very con- splendid traditions of courage and fore- overflowing exchequer, subsidiary coin hands of every member, and details can siderable increase in Personal Emolu eight, will cite the opportunities now and other sasets which are not immediate more properly be dealt with in Comments owing to the adoption of many of respening, and that prosperity will once ly realizable and cannot therefore be re-mittee. I should however like to point the recommendations of the Fire Brigade more smile upon the people and the garded as liquid assets available to meet out that while every effort has been maile Committee whose report was published Government of Hongkong..
a. deficit on the Budget. In preparing i in the direction of economy this economy
(Continued on page 8.)
1: