185
already been commenced.
Buildings. Roads.
These work out as follows:-
Water Works.
Miscellaneous.
$5,000.
$100,000. $30,000.
$5,000*
$414,000.
Pritories.
$132,000.
18
$646,000.
$30,000.
$5,000.
+
$5,000.
and a further $25,000 might be saved.
Ø but a sum of $10,000 might be saved.
Grand Total
$606,000 (or about 7% of the
total Estimated Expenditure)
These works, if approved, will not be commenced during the first four months of this year, and if approval is not telegraphed they cannot presumably be started during the first six months. Even if approved therefore, there should be a saving on the Estimate of something between $230000
-
$340,000.
Of these new works the items to which the
Governor attachea most importance are Nos. 25, 77, i.e. the provision of quarters for Scavenging Coolies at Shaukiwan and for the Clerical Staff at Kowloon
at an expenditure of $50,000 and $200,000 respective- ly, but he considera as also does the D.P.W. that
none of the works included in the Estimates could be
postponed without detriment to the public convenience. This may be so but the phrase is really wide enough to cover anything.
-
Sir E. Stubbs makes a spirited defence of his
proposals and his main arguments are
(1) that Hongkong has developed enormously during
the