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HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
PRISON DEPARTMENT
A new post of Warder in charge of the Printing Shop has been included in the Prison Estimates, with the object of eliminating waste, saving time, and generally increasing the efficiency of the Shop. This appointment *as recom- mended in a valuable report made by the late Mr. E. J. Noronha. $30,000 has also been inserted under special expenditure on page 47 for the purchase of a new steam launch for use in connection with the Lai Chi Kok Prison. The old launch J.G.1 was condemned and sold, and for approximately five months of this year the Department has paid for the hire of a launch. but it is proposed to purchase new launch in 1922 which will be specially designed for the accommodation of prisoners, and will be essential when the new goal at Ngau Shi Wan is com- pleted.
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MEDICAL DEPARTMENT
Under the Medical Department, sums have been included under personal emolu- ments, other charges and special ex- penditure in connection with the new Out-Patients Department at the Govern- ment Civil Hospital. A sum of $25,000 was provided in 1921 estimates for the construction of the building: and it is anticipated that this Department will be working during part of next year. The increased cost of medical appliances and of materials generally accounts for the increase under other charges on Medical Department.
SANITARY DEPARTMENT.
the
In the Sanitary Department, a total increase of $15,922 results from the ad- ditional staff required to cope with the increase of the city and the consequent extension of the Department's activities. A number of public works have been in- cluded in Public Works Extraordinary on behalf of the Department, e.g.. bath- houses, dust-stations, cattle depot and small markets The Department also re- quires a new steam launch and refuse junks which have been inserted as items of special expenditure; all of which entail a further increase of staff and of certain votes under other charges, e.g., fuel, coal, light, disinfectants.
BOTANICAL AND FORESTRY DEPARTMENT.
Under the Botanical and Forestry Department a new post of Supervisor has been created for work in connection with plantations in remote districts. The vote for Brushwood clearing has been increased by $2,500 to make provision for the clearing of larger areas adjoining houses and roads in connection with the campaign against mosquitoes organised by the Sanitary Board. This work has necessitated various small increases in the staff of the Department also.
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.
In the Education Department, an in- crease of $62,837 is provided for sub- sidies to Vernacular Schools. This is in some degree compensated for by a reduc- tion of $18,667 in the item " Capitation Grants." It is hoped by means of these subsidies to extend educational facilities to a larger proportion of the poorer classes,
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
C
In the department of Public Works a
shown under the head of very large increase of expenditure is Personal Emoluments.” After careful considera- tion the Secretary of State has sanction- ed the system of continual increments for all engineers to date from the 1st January, 1921. The two assistants of the Director of Public Works have been granted salaries of £1,000 rising by in- crements of £30 a year to £1,150. En- gineers begin on a salary of £460 rising by increments of £20 a year to £700, and by increments of £25 a year to £950, while officers in executive charge of Sub- Departments draw a charge allowance of £100 ย year. There are strict efficiency bars at £600 and at £700.
I feel sure that this recognition of the excellent work done by officers of the Public Works Department will be grati- fying not only to honourable members, but to those outside this council who are daily brought in contact with the results of their labours. The staff of Engineers has been increased in order to cope with the many important works in hand and contemplated, and I think it will be con- ceded, when we come to consider the
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
Public Works Extraordinary programme the House. for next year, that the increase is fully justified. Two items of expenditure of expenditure of $12,000 and $10,000 have been inserted under other charges, in connection with the Government Quarry for upkeep of Quarry Plant and Quarry Stores. The increase in the amount pro- vided for "Public Works Recurrent is small, but I hope will be found suf- ficient.
The total sum provided for Public Works Extraordinary is $6,611,300 an in- crese on the estimate for the present year of $1,643,900. The vote for this year was far larger than any vote for Public Works in previous years, so that honour. able members will be able to gauge the extent to which the rapid development of the Colony is making it necessary to spend sums on roads, buildings, recla mations and water works that were un- dreamt of a few years ago. Many works that are desirable, though not very urgent, have had to be dropped for the present. I would mention in particular the tramway to Wanchai Gap, a work which may have to be proceeded with before long as the construction of houses on the new road in the vicinity of Wan- chai Gap and on Mount Cameron pro- ceeds. It is recognised that useful in many ways as the road to the Hill DIB- trict will be, cheap and rapid transit at regular intervals is necessary to a central point. As, however, no definite plans have been prepared for this work, and the method of working the tramway has not been decided on, it is unnecessary to increase the vote for Public Works by a sum that will probably not be spent.
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The greater portion of the whole sum to be voted is absorbed by works already in progress. and I need only refer to works for which provision is now made for the first time. In Hongkong, under the heading
Buildings Item 3 has been increased to provide for six more houses on Leighton Hill in two blocks of three each. Item 4 has been increased to provide more accommodation than was originally intended. Item 10 provides a sum for beginning the new buildings for Saiyingpun School on a site on Bon- ham Road, which will probably be acquired during next year. Item 11 is for a small bungalow in the grounds of Government House to supplement the inadequate bedroom accommodation of
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in speaking in the Estimates last year. I referred to this matter Item 12 is the first expenditure under a scheme for removing Queen's College from its present site to a much larger site on Caroline Hill. appointed last year reported very un- A Committee favourably on the present buildings, and the development during the last few years of a taste for field games among the Chinese has rendered it essential that any site to which the principal Govern- ment School is to be transferred shall not only be easily accessible, but shall have ample grounds for recreation
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filled by the site chosen and as soon as every kind. These conditions are ful- plans for the new school are
approved an estimate of the cost will be placed before Honourable Members. point out that the amount which will be I may realised by the sale of such portion of the present site of Queen's College as may be available after the area has been laid out to suit city developments will go far to pay for the new College.
Item 15 is for a small market in the neighbourhood of Causeway Bay, and Item 16 is for an underground miniature rifle range at the side of the Hongkong Volunteer Defence Corps parade ground, which will be most useful for training during the winter.
Under "Communications" the first five items are for works already in pro- gress, and it is expected that all except the first item will prove remunerative undertakings. I may mention that one piece of land opened up by the new road to the Peak sold a few days ago for $80.000, which is exactly the estimated cost of completing the road to Victoria Gap.
Item (g) provides a sum for beginning the 100 foot road from Causeway Bay to North Point, but it is probable that reclaiming the sites recently sold the large amount of filling required for North Point will be obtained to some the heavy cost of making it will thus be extent from the route of this road and
reduced.
at
Item (h) is for very necessary widen- ing of the road at Shaukiwan. is a 10 foot road at a level of about 800 Item (i) feet which will join the Peak Road at a rather lower level and eventually con- nect with the road to be begun under Item (m). It is expected that these roads will open up good building sites.