53
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCH,
road known as Queen's Road East is not subject to heavy traffic, and cannot be described as being in a bad condition, whereas Connaught Road and Des Voeux Road are in need of very extensive re- pairs. Connaught Road is subject, more- over, to great damage in the typhoon season by water being dashed over the road surface and washing it away. Therefore I imagine, as soon as money is available, the Director of Public Works will advise the Government that Connaught Road and Des Voeux Road are the two roads which ought really to have priority. They are, moreover, roads where there is exceedingly heavy traffic.
Financial Minutes
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY, by command of H.E. the Governor, laid on the table Financial Minutes Nos. 17 to 25 and moved that they be referred to the Finance Committee.
THE COLONIAL TREASURER second- ed, and the motion was agreed to.
Financial
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY, Dy command of H. E. the Governor, laid on the table the Report of the Finance Com- mittee (No. 5), and moved its adoption.
THE COLONIAL TREASURER second- ed, and the motion was agreed to.
The Opium Ordinance
-
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY moved the following resolution:- Whereas by the provisions of Section 5 Sub-section (1) of the Opium Ordinance, 1914, it is provided as follows:- No person shall import, or aid or abet the importation of any raw opium into the Colony, if such importation shall have been notified in the Gazette in pursuance of any resolu- tion of the Legislative Council as being illegal. Now it is hereby resolved that the importation into the Colony of any kind of raw opium except (a) Indian opium covered by export permits from the Government of India to the effect that it has been declared for shipment to or consumption in China, and (b) Persian opium is illegal, and it is further hereby resolved that a notification shall be made in the next issue of the Gazette to this effect, and it is also hereby resolved that Notification No. 70 published in the Gazette of the 2nd March, 1914, be rescinded."
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL second- ed, and the motion was agreed to.
Administration of the Hospitals
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY replied to a series of questions on this subject put by the Hon. Mr. H. E. Pollock, K.C. Questions and answers are appended :-
Question.-Did His Excellency the Officer then Administering the Government forward to the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies the proposal which was made by the Honourable Member for the Chamber of Commerce in this Council, on the 23rd October last, for a Committee of Five Justices of the Peace " to go into the whole question as to the supply of nurses in the Government Hospitals, their pay, allowances, and all other kindred questions relating to the officiency of this branch of our public service" If so, what was the reply of the Secretary of State for the Colonies and when was it received? Answer. The proposal was forwarded to the Secretary of State in the despatch on the Estimates, paragraph 14 of which was as follows:-
nurses
"Mr.
Hewett in the course of his remarks on the Budget stated that in view of the number of hospitals in existence in the Colony, the number of
at present engaged by the local Government seemed to be altogether inadequate and suggested that a small committee he formed of five Justices of the Peace to go into the whole question of the supply of nurses in the Government hospitals, their pay, allowances and all other kindred questions relating to the efficiency of this branch of the public service. In my reply I stated that I did not think it would be necessary to appoint a Committee but that on the return of the Governor the question would be very carefully considered and that I would specially mention the matter to you when forwarding the Estimates. I am taking steps to have the necessary data ready to place before Sir Henry May on his return.”
In his reply to that despatch the Secretary of State made no reference to the question.
Q. Has the letter of the Superintendent
of the Government Civil Hospital, dated the 2nd July last, and addressed to the Principal Civil Medical Officer,
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
setting forth on behalf of the Sisters reasons why they considered that their numbers should be increased by two, or has a copy of such letter ever been forwarded to the Secretary of State for the Colonies? If so, when was it forwarded?
A. The answer is in the negative. But the Secretary of State has been informed of the reasons adduced by the Sisters in the letter referred to.
Q.-Was it impossible to obtain the sanction of the Secretary of State for the Colonies to the increase of two Sisters in the Staff prior to the intro- duction of the Estimates for 1914 in this Council?
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What items of expenditure, and to what amount, produce the result, which is alleged in the answer to my third question at the last meeting of this Council, namely, that, although $8.881.88 was received, in 1913, by the Government in fees on account of Military Women and Children, such fees leave no profit to the Government? A. The fees per diem are as follows:- (a.) Military women-four dollars. (.) Military children under 12 years of age, one dollar; 12 years of age and over, two dollars.
latter.
The Maternity Hospital is carried on as part of the Civil Hospital, and it is therefore impossible to separate the A. If the Government had been pre-expenses of the former from those of the pared to ask for an increase of two Sisters at the beginning of July it would have been possible to obtain the sanction of the Secretary of State to such increase prior to the introduction of the Estimates for 1914 in this Council,
Q. Were the two additional Probationers, decided upon by His Excellency the Governor on the 19th August last,
introduced into the Estimates for 1914 with the previous sanction of the Secretary of State for the Colonies? If so, how was such sanction obtained and when? If not, has such sanction been since obtained and when?
The total expenditure on the Civil and Maternity Hospitals for the year 1913 was $97,135, and the revenue $27,548. The average cost of each patient per diem was $2.64.
The total expenditure on the Victoria Hospital, exclusive of the Medical Officer's salary, was $16,690 and the revenue $8,893. The average cost of each patient per diem was $3.16.
Women
The number of days spent by Military women and children in the hospitals during 1913 and the financial result to the Government were as follows:--
Government Civil Hospital.
120 days at $4 12 days at $2 38 days at $1 Maternity Hospital.
891 days at $4 $3,564 State Infants (no charge) 512 days
A. The previous sanction of the Secretary of State was not obtained. As these were only minor appointments they Children over 12.... were provided for in the Estimates for Children under 12.. 1914, and attention was drawn to them
in the despatch which accompanied the Women Estimates. The Secretary of approved the Estimates in his despatch dated the 12th December, 1913.
Q. In connection with the answer to my third question at the last meeting of this Council, how many of such 208 cases were Military Women, and how many of such cases were Maternity cases? For about how many days, on the average, did each of such materni- ty cases remain in છે. Government Hospital in 1913?
A. Eighty-two of these cases were women, forty-seven of whom were maternity cases. The average stay of the maternity cases in hospital was 19.3 days. Q. What fees per diem are paid to the
Governant in respect of
(a) Military Women, and (b) Military Children?
$480 24 33
Total.......................1,573 days. Total $4.106
Cost to Government at $2.64 a day $4,152.72 Victoria Hospital. Women.
798 days at $4 $3,192 Children over 12.... 41 days at $2 82 Children under 12..1739 days at $1 Infants (no charge) 78 days
1.739
Total 2,656 days. Total $5,013
Cost to Government at $3.16 a day $8,392.96
Total cost
Total receipts
$12,545.68 9.119.00
Loss to Government... $ 3.426.68