HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
Item 4.- Additional Service Re- servoir, West Point Reduction) Itew 15. Rented Quarters for
European Subordinates Item 16. Housing of Saborlin-
Ate Officers
$130.000
9d. Our coing are sold as bullion, but the roceeds are credited in the Treasury books at the current rate of exchange with 30.00%) the consequent loss of about 1d en every
dollar unit. 30.000
War Expenditure 1915
The expenditure on
Item 47. -Extern.on of Central
Police Station
50,000
Itein 10, Paving of main mads Item: 17.mpensation and R.
sitution
30.000
Car
20.000
Iten. 79tel. Section A of new
roud in N « Terriorios
33.000
It was also found possible to make an estimated saving of $380,000 in connection. with the purchase of raw opium, ad the need for strict economy was enjoined on Head of Departments. The total of the eco omies effected is 81,919,766, but the, effect of them was to a great extent ueu- tralised the necessity for incurring cert in hery expenditure which could not be included in the estimale.
Sub-Coin
I
account of the expected t amoun urin the current year to $179,200. No provi- sion was made for this in the mates, and the whole amount is tire in excess of the approved estimate or the year.
There has also been a argu i kreaso in the 11 required for telegrams. A sum of $4,000 was provided, but it is probable that no less than $20,000 will be expended. Other smaller sums go to make up a total sum of $825,238, by which the estimate for Miscellaneous Services has been exceeded. A supplementary vote for $486,000 bas recently been taken to cover the cost of the construction of the Railway during the current your ja ae cordeuce with the estimate contained in Council Paper No. 15 of 1915. C'ertain additional expenditure incurred an other votes is shown on pages 19 and 20 of the draft Estimates which, with the items to which I have drawn attention, reduce the total anticipated saving on this year's Estimates to the sum of 854.525 which I have already mentioned. There will, therefore, be a deficit on the 31st Decem- her next, if these figures are realised, of $1,047,041, and the balance of Assets on that date will be reduced to $1.62,832. It will be clear to honourable members that the need for strict economy during the
A large increase was necessary in the amount required to redeem subsidiary coinage. The sum estimated on this account was £708,000, while it is now found that ▲ sum of $1,164,000 will he required, or $396,000 more than the original estimate. A variety of circumstances have contri- buted to swell our lows on the redemption of subsidiary coins and to cause a lergo excess on the vote in the rurrent estimates to cover that loss,
In the first place, after the Estimates had been framed the Government adopter a poher of purchas- rg sub-coins in the market, and it con- tinued that policy, taking advantage of the high rate of discount, till February incoming year is imperative, and the Esti- this year.
Altogether coins to the face mates which are now laid before you
lue of $1.975.000 were purchased and have been drawn up with that object. vent Home to be demonetized.
Although
$500,000 of that -un represents purchases
Estimates of Revenuc, 1916
are
R3
13
made and at home in 1914, the proceeds were not brought to account till this year. The estimated The loss on this large item was therefore; 81,378 in excess of that approved for the
revenue for 1916 rot included in the Estimates for this current year, year. In the second place, an item which | of which expkinations will be found in the The principal incronses, has swelled the cost is that of insurance foot-intes
Follows:-Money- against war risks. A third cause is that changers Licences. $8,340; Opium Mono- the coins being old were dirty and a little poly, $250,000; Stamp Duties, $50,000; light through wear. A fourth cause is Analyses, 26.000; Sunday Cargo-working the fact that during the current year, Permits, $5.000; Kowloon Canton Rail- while the parity of silver has ruled t about 15. d. to the dollar, the rate of not Leased 87.490; Royalty payable by way, goods through traffic, #3,000; Lands exchange has ruled at a fraction over 18. Hongkong Tramway Company $6,000:
7
sum.
Estimate of Expenditure, 19 5
| -
72
50%
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Widow and Orphans' Pension Contriba-people of this Colony will gladly accept tions, $7,200. These increases aggregate the whole burden of the maintenance of $344,990, and the decreasey 10 various both interned persons and prisoners of other items amount to almost a similar war, which cannot be regarded as a heary one compared with the expenditure now being incurred by other parts of the Empire. The sub-head Other Items of Expenditure $90,000, comprises extra paymensa to Volunteers on war duty; the Bost of meals, transport and other ex- penges on account of garrison duty and passages to men proceeding to England for active service. There are also many other items of expenditure chargeable to this sub-head, which cannot be definitely specified, A But of $2,200 has been provided for a new edition of the Gen- eral Orders of the Hongkong Government. |
The estimated expenditure for next year is $11,692,774, which is 8603,997 less than he estimated expenditure for the current Bear. In the eight departments in Class I. under the head "General Administration, a decrease of $137,882 is estimated for but this requires some explanation. The total estimate for these departments this year was 81.781,400, but wing principal ly to the cost of raw opium having been much less than was estimated, and the scheme for the acquisition and re- arrangement of the moorings in the har. bour having only been partly proceeded with, it is not anticipated that more than $1,301,100 will be required. The estimate for next year is $1,043,318, which includes a sum of $800,000 for opium, $140,000 for the acquisition and re-arrangement of moorings, and $10,000 for the raising and renewal of moorings. Under the heading "Miscellaneous Services the estimate of expenditure for next year is $1,113,289. or $201,027 greater than for last year, due almost entirely to charges on account of the war.
17
I would draw attention to the follow ing items under "Miscellaneous Services.'' A sum of $750,000 is estimated to cover, the loss on Subsidiary Coins. This sum falls short to a considerable amount of The sum required in the current year for this service. There is some reason to hope that it may nevertheless be sufficient, and I trust that this hope will b realised.
War Expenditure 1918
Judicial and Legal Department
Under "Other Charges "a sum equiva. lent to £300 has Inen entered as the con- tribution from this Colony towards the cost of the ablishment of a Registry of Companies which is to be established at Shanghai. This Regis ry will be sub- ordinate to the Hongkong Registry, and As the whole of the fees received will be paid over to the Hongkong Jovernment, it is considered desirable thar this Colony should make contribution owards the
mal expenditure involved. The Vote EOT the travelling expenses of Watchmen and temporary engagement of extra Watchmen has been increased from 81,000 to $5.000. This increase le due to the issue of an abnormal number of executions since the outbreak of the The sums spent are counter- balanced by Possession Fees which are paid into revenue.
war.
Police
The establishment of European Con- stables has been reduced by ten for the duration of the war. This reduction hea
As regards War Expenditure: Thr five heade amount in all to $210,200 | been rendered possible by the excellent including a sum of $58.000 for the main-service which is being rendered by mom- tenance of Prisoners of War and their bers of the Special Police Reserve. I have families. His Majesty's Government already had occasion to refer publicly have decided that each Colony should pay to the useful work performed by this For the alion enemies interned by ite recent addition to the Police Force, and Government, and al if it can afford it is especially gratifying that, at a time ib, for alien enemies taken off ships within when there are many vacancies in the its jurisdiction. The question of defray- Force owing to the ance of members ing the cost of maintenance of prisoners at the front, and to the diffanity of fil- made in actual military operations has ing the vacancies which
OCCEL under not actually been decided, but I have ordinary conditions, that deficiencies can included in the vote the estimated cost he supplemented by other members of of the 76 prisoners brought here from the community, who for various reasong 'Tsingtan, beotuse I feel "sure that the
The Gov- are unable to leave the Colory