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Reservoir. If this was the one re- to regain the premier position one ferred to during the Budget debate | day. A Colony like this cannot nearly a year ago as having an stand still, for to stop is to go back. estimated capacity of 200 million Hong Kong does not intend to go gallons, we cannot think that this back. The vitality it has shown in will do much towards meeting the the face of every trial in recent growing needs of the island as it years more than justifies our faith would increase our storage capacity in the future. Your Excellency has by less than 10 per cent. At that referred to the wonderful results debate your Excellency stated that that can be achieved when Britons you hoped before long to lay on the and Chinese collaborate in the deve- table of this Council" a sessional lopment of a country. An example paper giving very full information of this is to be seen in the present on every aspect of our water supply splendid co-operation between the problem, and furnishing all the British and Chinese sections of the data necessary for formulating our Kowloon-Canton Railway. The future policy in this respect," and Colony needs only the loyalty and that a Commission would be ap- co-operation which were displayed pointed to study it. The import- by all sections of the community in ance of an adequate supply of the face of the big crisis of 1925 to fresh water for the island of Hong make it invincible against all at- Kong and Kowloon cannot be over tempts to check its progress and emphasized and we trust, Sir, that
we can assure you, Sir, with all this sessional power will not be confidence, that you can count upon unduly delayed
the same measure of loyalty and co-operation in that future to which The proposal to build an
we are looking with steadfast hope drome, to which your Excellency and unshaken faith. (Applause.) alluded in your speech at the last! meeting of this Council, affords | HON. MR. D. G. M. BERNARD. pleasing evidence that the Colony is keeping fully abreast of the times. When the aerodrome is com- pleted Hong Kong will have an im- portant new asset, and will take its place as a link in the chain of airways with which the Imperial Government is binding the Empire yet closer together. The commu- nity's satisfaction with the prospect of this new acquisition to our com- mercial and social amenities is in- creased by the knowledge that the Secretary of State for the Colonies has proposed that the Imperial Government shall bear three-quar- ters of the cost, and the Colony one-quarter. It is sincerely to be hoped that this proposal will re- ceive the approval of His Majesty's Government.
Aerodrome.
aero-
Concluding Remarks. Before concluding, Sir, I wish to express our entire agreement with the sound policy you are pursuing in husbanding the financial re- sources of the Colony while at the same time pushing ahead essential public works that can be undertaken without undue financial strain. Hong Kong, to-day, with all its troubles, is still one of the greatest ports in the world, and may look
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Hon. Mr. D. G. M. Bernard said: Your Excellency,-As the Senior European Unofficial Mem- ber of this Council, I wish to as- sociate my colleagues and myself with the address which has just been delivered by the Senior Un- official Member. This is the first occasion on which the views of the Unofficial Members have been pre- sented by a Chinese Member, and I wish to take the opportunity of congratulating my honourable friend on the able manner in which he has performed this very impor- tant duty. In his concluding re- marks he drew attention to the necessity of co-operation between British and Chinese which I think is generally recognized as being essential for the well being and progress of the Colony. It is there- fore especially gratifying to find that to-day the Unofficial Members have been happy to leave the ex- pression of their collective views on the Budget in the hands of the Senior Chinese Member and on their behalf I want to thank him for the able way in which he has presented them. (Applause).
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