58
lex
way
regards the subject of roads, Sir penditure on public works or of expendi-1 and to hold him directly responsible to 蕊
have come into disagreeable pro Pure which is necessary for the protection your Excellency for completion within mence lately, and my honourable friend of life, property, and health, then, Sir, the contract time. pposite has put some questions with re: I submit that such economy would be un-
I want to suggest to your Excellency to hasten the work by! ard to some of these roads. The Craigs and I think there will not be many offering the contractor a premium for in Road in particular seemed to be par- people who will be able to view the pros- every month he saves under the contract cularly impassable. It remained open peet with satisfaction. Because it will, period, and I ask your Excellency to cause F several months and, for some reason think, be conceded by eryone who to be placed upon this table every half- am not able to fathom at present, seem understands the peculiarities of long year a statement similar to that which is I to require some special brand of wea- kong position in the commercial world. given for the Typhoon Refuge, which
of its own. In addition to the roads Antioned by my hon. friend opposite, the who realises how slender are the founda-though not an absolutely correct index is and Inngh withejont to enable this Council Dwlous roads have from time to time tions of its trade, it will, I think, be con and the public to form an opinion as to ceived their share of unfavourable com- it can only be by judicious and continual The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS My
ceded that if this Colony is to prosper the progress of the work. ent. The report of the committee which expenditure upon improvements that will hon, friend on my left has made some as appointed to enquire into the ex- attract shipping to our port and people remarks with regard to public works and nditure and delay in constructing the 10 our shores. From the moment wa
has asked for some information regarding st Office Building formed very unsatis- begin to lag behind other ports in China them. ctory reading in regard to the or whether it be in the matter of wireles sum of only $250,000 should be spent dur He expressed his regret that a misation and distribution of the work telegraphy or the deepening of our har
the Public Works Departinent, and we
ing the coming year in connection with ould like to be informed what steps push our commerce; to extend our ra
bour; from the moment we neglect t
the Tytam Tuk scheme. I will not hesitate, ve been taken to carry out the recom
Sir, if it becomes necessary, to apply to odations of the Committer as set out healthy to provide reasonable comfort ture of the work in its elementary stages
connections: to keep the
por the Council for further sums, but the na- paragraph II. of their report, which dated the 28th June last. With refer
for our citizens; from that moment will ce to public works extraordinary, we prosperity begin to pass away.
Hongkong's attractiveness cease and it is of a somewhat slow and tedious kind, consisting largely of excavation, some of All this which will doubtless be among rock, and ould urge that in future steps should ore promptly be taken to train nullahs
of course, means expenditure and expert the operations attendant on it are not of hich are tributary to main nullahs, thus it also means progress and prosperity signed only two days for the carrying out
diture means taxation, but in our case
a very costly nature. A contract was ndering so far as practicable entire dis- which enable taxation to be borne. First of this work. The amount of the contract icts free from mosquitoes. rd to the typhoon refuge, we are very
With re-and foremost should there be unstinted is $1,781,817.99. The time allowed for indeed to note that such satisfactory
expenditure on the policing of our pre the completion of the work is five years, mises, the efficient protection of life and but I trust that within two years from ogress is being made with that work, id we earnestly hope it will continue.
property; second in importance is the the present time the work will have reach. also welcome the two sums appearing
provision of a plentiful supply of water ed such a stage as to enable us to derive Rufficient for all our needs throughout the some benefit from it in the way of an in- the estimates next year of $100,000 and 1000 for quarters for subordinate offi-
This we have not got, we never creased supply of water. The question of rs in the service of the Government at
had, and it is to this question that my roads is one that is very much in the pub- ctoria and Kowloon respectively. Uu-
remarks are specially pointed. We are lie eve, and, as hon, members are aware estionably, Sir, this is a desirable step
now commencing the building of a re-
from their own observations, some impor these officers ought not to be compelled
servoir which will give an ample water tant methods are being tried with a view seek for quarters in uncongenial sur-
supply for the whole year round, and
to overcoming some of the difficulties undings. With regard to the vote of
whilst congratulating the Government 00,000 for communication by wireless
upon commencement of the work, I want which exist in maintaining the roads in to ask that nothing shall be allowed to rather distressing after a road has just
good condition in this Colony. egraphy from ship to shore, we are en- ely in favour of that vote, subject to
stand in the way of completing it in the been put in good order to have a severe proviso that by obtaining this con-
shortest possible time; and that its heavy rain storm within a few weeks and see all nication from ship to shore we shall
cost shall not be put forward as an ex-
the work which has been done obliterated. cuse for shelving other works of public t prejudice the early inclusion of
utility. ongkong in the Imperial long-distance
If it be argued that money is heme of wireless telegraphy. We note
not forthcoming for this as well as other th satisfaction the proposal to erecti
works, my answer is that this is pre- thing sheds near the east and west ends
eminently the case for a temporary loan
year.
It is
As regards the report of the rust Office,
the recommendations of the Committen are at present engaging the attention of the Government. The hon. member's sug-
I am aware of the policy of the Colonial gestion that prompt steps should be taken the city. With regard to the Kowloon- Office which forbids this Colony to ineng to deal with branch nullahs is being acted |
on, and where extensive works are pro- heavy indebtedness, and I fully endorse posed to be undertaken the branch nullahs! that policy so long as it applies to ext will also be dealt with. With regard
anton Railway, we consider that the in- ase in expenditure for a more efficient Bin service and for further locomotives ad rolling stock is justified, and we wel- e the starting of refreshment trains, ad the proposed new roads which it is roposed to make at certain train halts. ith regard to the design for a terminal tion at Kowloon, the unofficial mem- ers are most strongly of opinion that the lans for that station ought to have been rown open for competition by local ms in this Colony who are necessarily tter acquainted with local conditions an any gentlemen, however experienced, tom the Federated Malay States. Wo innot understand why civil engineers in tis Colony, some of whom have actual ractical experience in railway station uilding, have been passed over in this ay. I gather from what fell from the olonial Secretary a short time ago to- ay that matters have not proceeded very Ir with Mr. Hubback, and we wish. Sir, strongly urge, if there is yet time, that E plans for this station shall be throw pen in the usual way to public competi- on in this Colony. "In conclusion, Sir. hilst we have found some matters to mment on in this budget, we desire t ate that we fully realise that your Ex- ellency bas, since your return to this alony in July last, worked hard in the ublic interest, and we beg leave to assure ou, Sir, that in boldly and fearlessly as- iling any abuses there may be on ear ways count on the sincere sympathy nd hearty support of the unofficial mem- ars of this Council. (Applause,
penditure on costly buildings and other luxuries of wealth, but when it comes to to the remarks of my hon. friend oppo- site (Hon. Mr. Osborne), I think the only compelling us to spend on building a re-
one I am called upon to make any com- servoir the money we ought to spend on
ment on is that with regard to the offer ridding the Colony of mosquitoes, plague and Kwangtung criminals, then of a premium for the earlier completion The maintain that such a policy is wrong and of the large dam at Tytam Tuk. unsound. This question of water is a position is that when the reservoir is com matter of great and urgent necessity, and pleted, it will be in excess of present re if a loan be needed and the ColonialOffice quirements. It is not being carried out refuses its sauction, the matter should be with a view merely to meeting our ab referred to Parliament, to whom it should solutely necessary requirements of to-day. be explained that our storage capacity but with the view to meeting the require suffices for barely 5 months full supply ments of some period in the future. As I have said, we will begin to receive a whilst our dry season may any year benefit from it within about two years extend to
If 7 months.
it
from the present time, and seeing that is so
were
pointed out that during the year 1911 there does not appear to be any necessity
the 300,000 Chinese of this Colony of water for 199 days; if it were made had to be content with a short supply for offering any premium for the com- pletion of the work. Every step, how-
clear what this short supply means; that ever, will be taken for endeavouring to
see and little or none for cleansing, the fulfilment of the contract. it means just sufficient for culinary pur- carry it out within the period allowed for if it were known that for years past we
plause.) have been preaching to these same people the gospel of cleanliness and sanitation
on the one hand and on the other hand we have withheld the one thing essential to cleanliness, which is water; if the mockery underlying this aspect of the question were exposed in Parliament then I think the Colonial Office might be in- duced to withdraw its opposition to a expenditure of $250,000 on a work which loan. Meanwhile we are starting with an I believe is to cost roughly $2,000,000, and whether we borrow or whether we don't
(Ap-
lency's permission-I understand that.
Hon. Mr. OSBORNE-With your Excal-
when this new reservoir is completed it will hold a little more than is necessary to give the Colony a full supply through- out the year. The remarks made by the Hon. Director of Pablie Works are per- fectly true, but the little more is very
little, and for all practical purposes we want to-day the amount of water which will be given to us in five years' time if that reservoir is completed.
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS-The
Hon. Mr. OSBORNE-Your Excellency in I want to ask your Excellency to take hon. member is correct, Sir, in stating."
our Budget speech dwelt upon the neces
ty for economy in the administration of steps that the delays which characterized ublic funds, a sen the ministrin of the building of the Law Courts, the Post echoed with approval from every side. Office and the Kowloon Market shall not ut your Excellency's warning is inellency to invest the engineer in charge be repeated here, I want to ask your Ex- to foreshadow & cessation of ex-
with full powers to carry out the work
that the contents of the reservoir are
approximately the quantity required to give a full supply of water throughout that the period we have to consider really the year, but he loses sight of the fact
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