FIVE
Iu Tau to Kowloon City; from Mau Tau Wai to Kowloon Tong; and from Tai Shek Koo to Tai Pat Cheong. Another subject to which I wish to refer is wireless. I think we have already spent some $20,000 on this. The estimate on page 95 is for $80,000, and on page 102 $20,000 for stock. I understand the bulk of this apparatus is already in the Colony, and I have been informed informally I hope the Director of Public Works will correct me if I am wrong that before the next seven or eight months this valuable station will be in working order. As your Excellency knows, in my capacity as a member of this Council, as Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and representative of shipping companies, I have for several years urged on the Imperial Government, the construc tion of a high-power wireless station in the interests of shipping in this Colony without any effect at all. We were put off with all sorts of excuses that further inquiries and further experiments had to be made. What is the result? We know that Germany has for many years been preparing for a European war, the main object of which was to obtain the British Empire and British trade. She has erected high-power stations in all parts of the world on alien territory as well as on ber own territory, etations which enable her to speak across the Atlantic and the Pacific. Now that war has broken out, we find Germany with high-power stations enabl- ing her to communicate all round the world, and we have not got anything worth speaking of. The only station we have here is a comparatively low-power station on the Tamar, and even in Singa- pore, which is the centre of the long line of high-power stations from London to New Zealand, at the outbreak of hostili- ties the only station they had was put up in a hurry with apparatus taken from one of the ships. I state, Sir, without fear of contradiction, that it is absolutely a scandal that we as the greatest oversea Power in the world are caught napping. We have no proper
HIS EXCELLENCY- The hon. member is travelling outside the subject of these estimates.
Hon. Mr. HEWETT-I trust you do not for a moment suppose, Bir, that I reflect in any way upon the Hongkong Government. I know you have done everything possible. The fault lies with the War Department in London.
HIS EXCELLENCY—The point is that this is an Imperial question.
Hon. Mr. HEWETT- I have very little more to say, Sir. As far as I can make out by roughly adding up the figures, I find there is an increase under new appointments in the Public Works Department which amounts to about $20,000, and in the Post Office amounting to about $22,000. I wish to direct atten- tion to this constant increase in the personnel of the Government staff. It has been going on all the time. I have had on may occasions to refer to it.
Of course, I know your Excellency and the heads of departments are anxious not to increase in that direction, still the increase goes on, and they come in under the pension scheme and are a charge on the Widows and Orphans' Fund. As I said in the early part of my remarks, the financial position of the Colony is such that we ought to conserve our resources in every possible way. With reference to the charge on the public debt, I remember many years ago, when this question was discussed, how various individual rate- payors stated that they considered all these big public works should be paid for on long loan: Fortunately, your predecessors-Sir Henry Blake particularly was one, and I believe your Excellency also holds the same view-were of opinion that so far as possible all public works, public build- ings, and even public worke which might possibly be remunerative, ahould be paid as far as possible out of current revenue or by short loan. That policy has fortun- ately been followed; otherwise, had we not done so, the present condition of the Colony would have been far more unsatis- factory than it is. We would have been weighted down with a heavy permanent debt which we could ill afford to meet. There is one other question which we do not discuss in connection with the Esti- mates the Military Contribution-and 1 would like to make a remark about it. When dealing with this question it is always brought forward by special resolution, and that was done by me when the estimates for last year were under consideration. Since then we have had a paper laid before us by the Secretary of State, but the unofficial members have not under existing condi- tions brought forward any resolution, because we considered the time was not opportune, but it must not be supposed that we are satisfied with the present state of affairs, and we trust later on to have an opportunity of again discussing the subject. I hope hon, members do not think I have been unduly long 'n discussing the Estimates, but I have done my best to carry out the wishes of my colleagues on the various points we had under consideration. I now beg to state that when we come to the vote I shall move the reduction of the Harbour Department vote by $10,000. I will also move a further resolution for the adjourn- ment of this debate, which, I understand, is necessary before I have the right to reply to your Excellency. I do not say I shall want to reply, but 1 should like to have the opportunity of doing so if necessary.
Hon. Mr. POLLOCK-Sir, the very full remarks made by the hon. member opposite will render it necessary for me to occupy the time of this Council for a few minutes only. As my hon, friend has pointed out, apart from the revenue derived from opium, we should, as it appears to me, be in a rather parlous financial condition in this Colony, and, Sir, it is in bearing that fact in view that I venture to make a suggestion to this Government in connection with the opium question. I am sure, Sir, that everybody must deplore the fact that there
certain percentage of
18
200