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for 139 days, and the unsavoury materials with which the Chinese season their food are abundant. It is hardly conceivable that communication will be so interrupted as to prevent the further importation of rice into this Colony, and as many Chinese will clear out in the event of war, the present supply may be reckoned on to last for a longer time.
As to its distribution, there will be no attempt to alter existing arrangements. There is no reason that the Chinese population, who live apart from the European, should live at time of preparation for war in any other way than they do at present, and to attempt to take the distribution of food for 250,000 people out of the hands of those who now do it in such organized fashion would be an impossible economic problem.
5. He will advise the Governor with regard to the enforcing of the Peace Preserva- tion Ordinance (No. 15 of 1886) which confers on him the power to deport from the Colony any person not a natural-born subject of His Majesty, whether such person has been naturalized or not, whose banishment appears to the Governor in Council to be necessary to the public safety; the dealing with individual aliens, even in large numbers, and all subjects of the foreign Power with whom England may be at war whose presence in the Colony might be inimical to the public safety; the prevention of Chinese from being at large in the streets at night; the swearing-in of special constables; and the search for and seizure of arms.
6. He will arrange that the civil police, together with the specially enrolled constables, protect the European families and the property belonging to them.
7. He will arrange for the provision of 2,000 coolies to be available for the military on the first day of mobilization. They are to be handed over to the A.S.C. contractor at north-east portion of reclamation ground for distribution under Officer i/c Transport.
(2.)-Action by the Colonial Treasurer.
1. The Colonial Treasurer must hold himself in readiness to provide every facility possible for the prompt payment of all necessary liabilities with the Colony.
2. He will open an account for war expenditure with the Chief Paymaster (i.e., on traffic regulations), and should be furnished with an estimate of probable initial and subsequent expenditure from Colonial funds. Among the items of expenditure to be met by the Colonial Treasurer would be the pay of the Volunteers (but not rations, which would have to be supplied by the A.S.C.), the cost of hiring examination steamers, and of supplementing the personnel employed under the Harbour Master and the Captain Superintendent of Police.
3. It is expected that the Military authorities will co-operate with the Colonial Government in providing the Treasurer with the fullest information obtainable regarding actual and probable expenditure; and it is also hoped that the local banks will give him every assistance in their power with regard to any difficulties which may arise in connection with questions of currency.
4. All the Colonial funds are in the Hong Kong Bank, there is about 1,900,000 dollars worth of sub coin belonging to the Government in the Hong Kong Bank. This sum is kept in a vault, together with the Bank deposit for excess of bank-note issue. Three keys are necessary to open the vault, one is kept by the Colonial Secretary, one by the Treasurer, and one by the Bank.
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(3.)—Action by the Director of Public Works.
1. This officer will have instructions-subject to modification from time to time— with regard to pressing on works of military importance, such as the new Colonial Powder Magazine and strategic roads.
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2. A military survey is completed on a scale of 8 inches to a mile, and is now in London to be printed.
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