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H.E. THE GOVERNOR: I was just com. ing to that. It is perfectly true, as the hon member has rightly observed, fore- sta.ling me, that on page 1 the rcv.sed estimate is blank throughout. That can be accounted for in one of two ways. Either the revised estimate is the same as the original estimate in which case it is unnecessary or it is impossible to give accurate figures. In that case it will be equally impossible to give a satisfactory figure in the additional column the hon. member requests. I think, therefore, that in order not to overload the page it will b better to leave the matter as it is.
The next paragraph deals with the ques- tion of the University. The Hon. Colonial Treasurer has dealt with the $600,000, but I should like to refer to the matter again and to express my hearty support of the sentiment that no further additional fin- ancial assistance from the revenue of the Colony will be required by the University. I confess that I fear that during the next few years we shall be asked to expend further sums for the University, but at the present time I should be reluctant to recommend a further large expenditure from the public funds until the community have shown more generosity than they have so far. The University is for the interest of the community as a whole, and is a proper object for generosity on the part of wealthy men. I acknowledge with gratitude some considerable donations from members of the community, but I think the sums that we have received are a very small proportion of the sums we have a right to expect.
The question of linking up the Kow- Icon-Canton and the Canton-Hankow Railway has again been raised. I fear the position is exactly what it has been during the last few years. Until the dis- turbances in this district of China have been ended and until there is some pros- pect of getting a Government both able and willing to decide things for the good of China. as a whole, I fear the matter will probably remain in abeyance. I need hardly say that this Government attaches the greatest importance to the linking up of these two lines, but I feel that at the present moment the prospects of it happening in the near future are small.
With regard to the imperial wireless chain, hon. members were consulted in the matter some months ago in respect of certain financial proposals. We were asked, if I am not mistaken, whether weẹ were prepared to guarantee any part of the expenditure and after consulting the Council we replied. We have not heard anything about it since.
The last paragraph of the joint remarks of the hon. members raises a matter of very considerble difficulty, and that is the question of Produce Exchanges which has occupied the mind of the Government already. It is, I think. impossible to exaggerate the evil which is likely to re- sult from the reckless establishment of exchanges which are merely used for gam- bling and manipulating margins, and not for purposes of honest trade. Certain exchanges have been opened already in this Colony. I do not for a moment sug- gest that the remarks I have made neces- sarily apply to these, but it will be the duty of this Government to look very closely into the operations of any Ex- change which either has started or is proposed to be started, and if I see reason to suppose that they are not being used for legitimate trade purposes but simply encouraging reckless gambling, such as you will see in Shanghai, I shall have no hesitation in asking the Council to give me any powers necessary to shut them down without regard to loss of capital by the persons who started busi- ness of this kind. I shall deal with them in exactly the same way as ordinary gambling houses.