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injustice to their fellow-servants out he as well as to a body of hard workin, patient and loyal men and women.
Sir. I desire to associate myself with THE HON. MR. C. G. ALABASTER said: the remarks which have fallen from the senior unofficial member of this Council, more especially as those remarks reflect the results of certain discussions which the unofficial members have held on this budget.
If I may supplement those remarks. sir, I should like to say that, whilst the Colony and those who have the shaping of its destinies are to be congratulated on the continuous and natural increase of its revenues and on the allocation of so large a proportion of those reventos to development, it is impossible to pass the estimates without some criticism of their faults, the greatest of which are those of omission.
Last year this Council was asked to apply a sum not exceeding $10,605.343 to the Public Service of the year 1919. For the previous year the sum voted was 38,386,910. Yet only eight weeks ago we were asked to authorise the appropria tion
suffered long and silently and stoically from the Huctuations of exchange, from the high rents of houses and from the general increased cost of living in the Colony. They have been fobbed off from time to time with mean shifts such as the so-called duty pay which was obviously only designed to deprive Civil Servants of the share of pension which should have been attached to that duty pay. And not only that.
It was intended, or, at any rate, it resulted in forcing them to remain out here and work and so injure their health when they should have been at home recruiting their strength. What I think of the gentleman who invented that duty pay is perhaps better illustrated in this way. When I was a young man in Hong- kong the American Consul was the cele brated Colonel Moseley, a great cavalry leader. He was a first-class fighting man and very irascible when I knew him and he soon came to loggerheads with a man called Peter Smith, the official crimp of the Consulate. Moseley was a past mas- ter in strong language and was soon told he was to be prosecuted for libel by Peter Smith. He turned round, saving. fibel Peter Smith, the word is not coined that could libel him." That is how I feel of the man who invented duty pay. Con- trasted with him, Peter Smith must have been a nobleman. I know Mr. Messer says they must make the best of it and that it is better than nothing. It was like the little boys taking medicine. They laughed miserably.
the little wretches, but they had to swallow it. The men in high places should care for the interests of those under them. They should not try to take advantage of diff culties in this way. If I were not speak ing in this Council and in the presenc of H. E. the Governor, I should call it a dirty trick. I do not think I need en The amount which will be required large on that subject so I will turn back under the former head, you have told us, how to the recommendations. We invited everyone who wished to come before used; it is fairly generally believed that it
cannot be evenly approximately estimat and state his or her case. We examined will run into some millions of dollars. personally every applicant and, in no in- If, hitherto, unofficial members have re stance, did we recommend any expendi-frained from criticising or catechising ture or any increase that we did not think absolutely justifed by the facts. It was a matter of bare justice and nothing more. After all we unofficial menibers can do very little in these matters. Wo can bark but we are muzzled by the offi- cial majority, and we cannot bite. But I will go on barking as long as I can and I say now that if Lord Milner's advisers see fit to modify our recommendations to any material extent they will do grave
of ሲ supplementary BUM of $5.406.327. to defray the charges of the year 1918, and we now know from your Excellency's speech on the first reading of this Bill that these estimates which are framed to show a balance in favour lakhs, attain that satisfactory appearanc of revenue of something more than four only by the studied omission of tw factors of expenditure which must be reckoned with during the financial year. the deficit on rice purchases and the emoluments of public servants.
the Government on the rire question you must understand, sir, that they have exerciced that self-restraint so as not to tie the hands of the Administration in dealing with a delicate and difficult situa tion. But the time for ealling on the Government to give an account of it stewardship cannot be much longer de- ferred. It is to be hoped, sir, that means will be devised to prevent a recurrence
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much unless the dollar drops in value to 37-,
of the conditions of the last few months. and that the burden of paying the bill will be imposed as far as possible on the Passing from the faults of omission to speculative interests that brought the those of commission in the Estimates, situation about.
it is to be noted that you propose to spend the sum of 5,231,700, or 35.88 per
It is to be hoped, sir. also that by improving the communications with the ent Southern district of the New Territories, particularly Lantau and Lamma, greater areas of Colonial land may be put under cultivation so as to enable the Colony to grow its own consumption of rice and other vegetables and fruits. The culti vated acreage at present is only 42,463. It is high time, sir. that steps were taken to put as much as possible of the re maining 207.778 acres under cultivation on the terrace system. at which the Chinese cultivator 1 such an adept.
i
of the total vole, on Public Works and that, of this large sum, no less than $3,073,700 are to be devoted to Public Works Extraordinary. That be ing so, it would seem impossible to defend or palliate the reticence which has been displayed by the Administration in dis regarding the unanimous desite of the unofficial members, expressed last year, that the estimates for public works should be submitted in the first instance to the Public Works Committer of this Council. which should be enlarged for that pur pose. a appears to be the case in Singa- pore an! Penang, by the inclusion of all the undicial members,
On the question of increased emolu ments of public servants, which are re presented on page 12 of the estimates as
Amongst the most outstanding omis- a sum of 105,000, we know from your Excellency's speech and from the footoute sions from the draft estimates are any on that page that this sum represents reference to the Praya East reclamation merely temporary increases authorised by scheme (a matter of infinitely great. reclamation Colonial Office telegrams in July and importance than the
scheme for Aplichau), and. aqually im- September, and that the real sum re- quired for the service of the year will portant the omission of any reference to the Government's proposals in the mat- easurably greater. The reticence dis played by the Administration in refrainter of housing, with regard to which the ing from publishing the report of the situation is. I can assure you, acute. ('ammission on Emoluments, and from If the item of $150.000. on page 94, for a inviting the opinions of unofficial men hill tramway to Wanchai Gap and the bers and the public on that report, is summencement of a road which will Shek and Cape regrettable. But I may say, sir, that eventually reach when the Government does come forward 'Aguilar are intended as contributions to the housing problem, I will observe with its proposals on that important that, however much these works may subject you will not find that the un-
benefit posterity, they do not go one inch ufficial members
be will
niggardly
towards the solution of the problem of in voting whatever suma may be
the present situation, which is urgent for the purpose. The Ser- vice has many genuine grievances with throughout the Colony and particularly
in Kowloon. which the unofficial members have every sympathy. If I may single out one, in Whilst additional public works will particular, it is the lack of adequate pro- necessitate increases in the staff of the vision for passages for public officers and Department charged with the duty of their dependents. Whilst on the subject executing them, it is becoming more and of salaries, I may point to the somewhat move evident that the time has arrived misleading statement which appears in to relieve that overburdened Department the exchange footnote on page 3. The of its duties in connection with the sale rate of exchange on sterling salaries is of Crown Land and conversion of farm not 4/5ths. at 1/9 and 1/5th at 3/-. lots into building lots in urban areas, The last fifth is paid at the Government These duties properly appertain to the onrrent rate, with the result that neither Land Office, which should have its own the sterling posts nor the compensated staff of surveyors under the Land Officer. dollar posts will receive during the year In this connection, and with special re- the sums in dollars stated in the esti ference to the item of $200,000 which matea- In fact, they will not receive ao appears at the bottom of page 5 as the
NOOSSBAPY