HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
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does not allow for an officer to be detailed exclusively for ship searching, has been aggravated by the reduction in the period qualify- ing for home leave from 43 to 4 years. Provision has also been made for granting rent allowances to Chinese Senior Revenue Officers and 1st Class Revenue Officers of ten years' service on the same basis as the grants to Chinese Sergeant Majors and 1st Class Constables respectively in the Police Force.
$3,000 has been inserted under Special Expenditure for the purchase of a motor car. This is required in connection with the control of distilleries. At present the train and motor 'bus have to be relied on, which involves much waste of time. A motor cycle and side car would not be suitable as it will be necessary to transport one European and two Chinese Revenue Officers, as well as bulky materials and samples of spirit. Provision has also been made, but under the Harbour Department on page 26 of the printed Estimates, for a motor boat at a cost of $7,000. A considerable amount of opium smuggling is done by junks and sampans on the Kowloon side of the harbour, where there is no definite water front as there is on this side of the harbour, and the occasional hiring of a launch has proved unsatisfactory, chiefly because it robs the raids and searches of the essential element of surprise.
Head 13-Harbour Department.
Apart from the increase in the staff of the Marine Surveyor's Office, to which I have already referred and which is fully dealt with in the sessional paper on the subject, there are only minor increases under personal emoluments. Provision is made for the crews of the two new launches and motor boat which it is proposed to build next year, and there is also inserted on page 30 of the printed Estimates one Boatswain for the Government slipway at Yaumati. All stores, etc., for Government launches are issued here, and it is anticipated that the appointment of this boatswain whose duties will be largely that of a storeman will more than pay for itself by the prevention of leakage of the stores. Subhead 2-" Coal and Oil Fuel for Launches " and Subhead 12-Repairs, Minor Improvements and Stores for Launches and Boats" are increased with the greater number of craft. Subhead 4-"Electric Fans and Light "has also been increased as the former offices of the Imports and Exports Department have been taken over by the Harbour Department. A sum of $25,000 has been inserted for the purchase of a new launch for the Boarding Officers. The number of Boarding Officers was increased from three to five this year, and there is available for them only one launch, which is quite inadequate for the work to be performed, particularly since the limits of the harbour have been extended to Lyemun Pass.
The present motor launch H.D.5 is now quite unseaworthy for anything but a flat calm. She is to be tried for junk inspection work at Aberdeen where the water is calm, and must be replaced in the harbour.
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