Education
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
Education's Special Expenditure Military Expenditure
Defence Corps
Public Works: --
376,052 revenue is 20 much larger than was ex-
4,350 pected.
+
The expenditure for this year, which 97,449 was originally estimated at $12,425,018. is now expected to exceed that sum by 171,612 $1,265,152. There have been savings in Public Works Department Public Works Department's
practically all departments and the excess Special Expenditure ..
280 is due to the gift of *,000,000 made by the Public Works, Recurrent
Colony to the Imperial Government for 608,700
war purposes. A sum of $51,218 under Public Works, Extraordinary 1,685,800
the bead Military Expenditure" is due Post Office
397,354 Kowloon-Canton Railway:—
to the arrears of military contribution for 1910 being paid this year. 392,335 76,385 334,630 42,590
Working Expenses Special Expenditure
Pensions,
Charitable Services
Total
$8,369,910
THE COLONIAL TREASURER serond rd.
men-
#E THE GOVERNOR - Hon. bers of the Legislative Council, it gives me much pleasure to be able to lay before you an even more satisfactory financial statement than I did last year. Last October 1 informed you that it was es timated that at the end of the year 1916 the balance of assets over liabilities would be $1,003,643, but the actual balance amount ed to $2,300,785, or a sum of $1,297,142 more than was anticipated. The revenue receipts up to the 30th June this year were $245,550 in excess of expenditure, and it is estimated that the balance of assets over liabilities on the 31st December next| will amount to $2,867,945. I should, how ever, paint out that no payment has yet Iwen made to the Commonwealth Govern- ment in respect of the erection of build- ings for, and the maintenance of, the prisoners of war and interned enemy subjects who were sent to Australia in January last year, and on subsequent dates. A statement of the amount due has been promised and payment may be made before the end of the year.
It is estimated that the revenue for this year will amount to $14,257,330, or $1,015,330 more than the original estimate Of this increase a sum of $502 500 is due to the special war rate and will be paid! to the Imperial Government. The balance is largely made up of $250,000 from the Opium Monopoly and $100,000 from Tobacco Duties. It is satisfactory to find that the yield from this new source of
Estimates of Revenue for 1918
The estimated reveng for 1918 is $14,763,590, being $1,521,590 in excess of the approval estimated for 1916, and $506,260 in excess of the revised figures for the current year. This estimate includes A sum of $1,007.000 from the special war rate, and as the revised estimate for the year includes a sum of $502,500 from the same source, the estimated revenue for next year is almost exactly the same as the revised estimate for this year.
* 21,400
As compared with the approved esti- mates for this year the principal increases (in addition to the sum of $1,007,000 men- tioned) of which explanations will be found in the footnotes are as follows:— Assessed Taxes Forfeitures Liquor Licences Opium Monopoly Tobacco Duties China Companies Fees Fees for use of Government buoys Medical Examination of Emig-
rants
Public School Fees Sunday Cargo Working Permits Survey of Steamships Water, Excess supply and Moter-
rents Message Fees Postage
Goods, Through Traffic
Leased Land (Crown rent exclu-
sive of New Territories) Stone Quarries Interest
Compensation in lieu of rates Royalty payable by the Hongkong
Tramway Co.
7,400
21,000
250,000
100,000
10,000
11,000
5,000
12,000 20,000
10,000
5,000
17,500
10,000
7,000
5,000
6,440
46,000
8,000
7,500
$580,240
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
Estimates of Expenditure for 1918
re
The estimates of expenditure for next year is $12,140,475, which is $281,543 less than the estimated expenditure for the current year. The various increases and decreases in each department and the rea. ons therefor are fully set out in the Sessional Paper laid before honourable members. I would draw attention to the footnote in the Sessional Paper regarding certain errors in the estimated expendi- ture for this year, which have come to light when making the calculations of the increases and decreases in each depart ment. I would remind you that owing to the pressure of work caused by the reduced staff of the Secretariat this useful abstract was not made last year. It is an absolute check on the figures, and if it had been made the errors ferred to would not have occurred. The revised figures have been used by me in making the comparisons in the first part of this statement. There is a small de- crease in the department of Governor chiefly due to higher exchange and a decrease in the votes for Other Charges. Small increases are shown in the depart
nents of Colonial Secretary and Legisla- ture and Secretariat for Chinese Affairs due to stipulated increments. An in- crease is shown in the Audit Department through the grant of Duty Pay amount- ing to £00 per annum to the two Assistant Auditors and through the crea- tion of a Second Grade clerical post with a view to strengthening the depart ment. A small increase is shown in the Treasury due to stipulated incrementa and the creation of a temporary clerkship to assist in the collection of the special
war rate.
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In the Harbour Master's Department provision is made for one 2nd Grade Clerkship in place of one 3rd Grade, one 4th Grade Interpreter and one 6th Grade Telephone Clerk, the need for which is explained in Appendix III. In the Marine Surveyor's Office and under Steam Launches the votes for coal and liquid fuel have been increased to meet the higher cost. Under Lighthouses and Lights the introduction of Aga. Lights at Cape Collinson and Blackhead's Hill has produced a saving of 8675 under the| former and an increase of $125 in the latter case.
The work of the Department of Imports
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and Exports has increased to a largo extent owing to the various war measures in force, especially the Importation and Exportation Ordinance, and to the im position of a tax on tobacco. For well over a year the Superintendent of Im- porte and Exports has had the assistance of two Cadet Officers, one a Cadet Officer of the 3rd Class and the other a Passed Cadet in a post of the 3rd class. I have, therefore, as a temporary war measure, two officers con- proved of the tinuung 80 to ut and provision has been made for their salaries on that basis, together with travelling and overtime allowances, under Miscellaneous Services, War Expenditures. Special Expenses of the Imports and Exports Department. There will be a corresponding saving under the posts in which they nominally officiate, namely, those of Assistant Post- master General and Passed Cadet.
Under Personal Emoluments in the ports and Exports Department the Principal increases are the addition of the creation of a Temporary Staff for the six temporary 5th Grade Clerkships and compilation of Trade Statistics. A lump
sum of 10.000 has been inserted for the Intter staff as the requirements of the department cannot at present be stated exactly. Owing to the working of the Import and Export Permit System en Sundays and Holidays, overtime allow ances to the staff have been increased by $1,316 to $4.500. The Revenue Officer in charge of the searchers for opium and other contraband goods holds such a responsible position that he has been promoted to the post of Chief Preventive officer on a higher salary. The number of Revenue Officers is correspondingly reduced. The vote for Electric Fans and Light has been sub-divided, $1,000 being transferred to Factory and the vote reduced by $500. This enables a more accurate calculation to be made for the Defence Contribution.
A large decrease of $150,000 is made under Opium in Other Charges, the sum inserted being considered sufficient for the supply of raw opium for the year. A sum of $2,400 has been added for the Rent of Temporary Offices for the staff employed on the compilation of Trade Statistics. Under Special Expenditure in this and other departments employing steam launches a sum is inserted for a triennial inspection of launch boilers.
In the Royal Observatory a 5th Grade Computer has been promoted to 4th Grade with allowance for night duty. Under Other Charges a sum of $100 is inserted for the maintenance of the installation
12.