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be done the railway will have to be debited with the cost of the land, because the railway is a commercial undertaking, and therefore, though Crown land is being exchanged, the Colony will have to get the benefit of it. However, it is possible that this is practically the end of the capital expenditure on the railway as a single line.
HON. MR. POLLOCK-Has this amount been really spent 1
THE CHAIRMAN Yes, and I shall move at the next meeting a vote to cover the expenses during the current year on works which will eventually total the amount of the vote.
Hos. MR. POLLOCK-Are we voting the difference between the amount on page 4 and the amount in column 9?
THE CHAIRMAN-The only thing the Finance Committee can agree to is this sum of $348,866.93. You agree to authorise the payment. There will have to be a vote Dext year, because the work will go on. We have spent only $98,000 on the station out of an estimate of $250,000, and next year we shall probably have to vote the difference between $348,866.93 and $1,137,000. the cost of the works authorised, or, at any rate, a considerable portion of the difference.
HON. MR. POLLOCK-Then a great deal of the amounts on page 4 are to be spent in 1915 7
THE CHAIRMAN-That is so.
ION. ME. HEWETT-And we can take it that after paying these three lakhs and a half there will be a balance of seven lakhs to be added to the estimated expendi- ture for 1914?
THE CHAIRMAN Nearly eight lakhs, according to this statement.
HON, MR. HEWETT That is no part of the Budget expenditure put before us six weeks ago.
with the Budget.
THE CHAIRMAN-It has nothing to do
HON. MR. POLLOCK-What is the meaning of the item $12,085.76
" write back on loss on stores"?
THE CHAIRMAN That dates back for years. When the stores were got out for the railway which was in process of con- struction they were gradually sent out to railhead, and for some reason best known Lo the authorities at the time they kept on deducting from the value of the stores for the purposes of their books, and the result was that as time went on the stores had a good deal deducted from their value. although the authorities had all the expense of sending them out constantly to railhead. Thus,
when the con- struction was finished, there were good many stores on hand. I am informed that an enormous amount of dynamite required for the tunnels was left over, and the balance of it was sold back to the people who sold it to the railway at con- siderable loss a loss altogether of $14,000. This sum has, I understand, been very carefully arrived at to replace the stores at their original book value before these curious deductions were made. Really, these deductions ought never to have been made.
The account was agreed to.
HON. MR. HEWETT-I would like my point to be made note of, so that it can be mentioned in Council.
THE CHAIRMAN Yes, that point is certainly worth considering.
The Committee then adjourned.
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HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
152
PRESENT:-
17TH DECEMBER, 1914.
HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR, SIR FRANCIS HENRY MAY, K.Ö.M.Ġ.
HIS EXCELLENCY MAJOR-GENERAL F. H. KELLY, C.B. (General Officer Command- ing Troops).
HON. Ma. CLAUD SEVERN (Colonial Secretary).
HON. MR. J. H. KEMP (Attorney General).
HON. MR. E. D. C. WOLFE (Colonial Treasurer).
HON. MR. A. F. CHURCHILL (Direc tor of Public Works).
HON. MR. E. R. HALLIFAX (Secretary for Chinese Affairs).
HON. MR. C. McI. MESSER (Captain Superintendent of Police),
HON. MR. WEI YUK, C.M.G.
Hor. MR. E. A. HEWETT, C.M.G. HON. MR. LAU CHU PAK. HON. MR. E. SHELLIM.
Local War Expenditure
HIS EXCELLENCY-With regard to Financial Minute No. 84, this is an item of $78,300 for expenses in connection I would like to remind with the war. you that two votes have been passed by this Council of $50,000 each for expenses in connection with the war, but it is proposed now, if you approve of this vote, to cancel these two votes-in fact, the second one has already been cancelled
and to substitute this one. Now this vote involves payment by the Colony of the expenses that have been incurred in connection with the mobilisation of the Volunteers, and in speaking of the Volunteers I include the Volunteer Reserves. Also expenses connected with various other miscellaneous items: pay- the cable and postal censorship and
ment of police, and the payment of the passages of the crews of Prize vessels who have been sent Home, or to their native places, and various other minor expenses which are all included under the head "miscellaneous." I hope that hon. mem. bers will agree with me that it is fitting
MR. M. J. BREEN (Clerk of Councils). that the Colony should bear this expendi
Minutes
ture. That is to say, should bear the cost of the mobilisation of the Volunteers and the other expenses which have been
The minutes of the previous meeting incurred. If you approve this vote, were confirmed.
Paper
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table the report of the proceedings of the Finance Committee held on the 3rd December.
Financial Minutes
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY, by com mand of H.E. the Governor, laid on the table Financial Minutes Nos. 32 to 87, and mored that they be referred to the Finance Committee.
you will, in fact, accept the principle and approve it, of the continued payment of these and similar charges throughout the duration of the war. Other Colonies. as you know having read your news- papers-have made substantial contribu tions towards the Imperial Exchequer in this matter, and I am sure hon. members would like to see this small dependency of the Crown doing what she can to relieve the British taxpayers of the enormous burdens which have fallen upon them.
Sketching Ordinance
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the second reading of the Bill entitled. "An to Amend the Defences (Sketching Prevention) Ordinance, 1895."
THE COLONIAL TREASURER second Ordinance ed, and this was agreed to.
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