280
/
..
practically certain that the revenue for 1925 will exceed the estimated sum. Even, however, if our balances are reduced to the extent suggested I am fully satisfied of the wisdom of the policy, which I advocate and of which the Council has signified its cordial approval of pressing on with works of development as rapidly as possible without being deterred by the appearance in the yearly estimates of deficits of considerable size. I have not proposed any work which is not either necessary or extremely useful and if it were not for the fact that we are fortunately in possession of large balances from previous years I should already have
asked you to sanction the issue of a loan to meet the cost of
some of the more important items of Public Works Extra-
ordinary.
8.
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I propose to address you further in due course
with regard to certain points raised in the course of the
debate but I will not delay this despatch by referring to
them here as I am fully conscious of the fact that the Estimates will reach you at a very much later date than is desirable. I did my best to get the budget before the Council early this year but I found that it was impossible to do so owing to the absence of Sir Henry Pollock, Mr. Holyoak and Mr. Chow Shou-son. The debate on the annual estimates has always been regarded as the occasion on which the Unofficial Members should put forward their views on any matter of policy or administration in which they or their constituents are interested and it was therefore undesirable that it should take place in the absence of so many of the
substantive members.
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In the circumstances it has not been possible
for me to place the estimates in your hands in time to admit of a reply by despatch before the end of the year and
I