HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
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"Royalties on Wireless Telegraphy" was the heading under which License fees for Ship Stations were previously entered. All Wireless Licenses are now merged in the one entry on page 7 Wire- less Licenses $11,240.
Kowloon-Canton Railway.
The Operating Expenses are now considerably greater than they were, owing to
(I) Revision of Salaries and Wages.
(II) Special revision of Enginemen's wages and allowances.
(III) Rise in contract price of coal and oil and petrol.
(IV) Higher cost of materials and stores owing to low exchange.
In 1931, when we hope to be able to bring the three new express engines into service on the Canton run, we shall be further burdened by depreciation on these engines amounting to a minimum of $18,000 per annum.
Thus in 1931 Operating Expenses are likely to be more than 15% over the figures for 1929. In order to cover this additional outlay, it is under consideration to raise the Local and Joint Sectional Fares (of which the last revision was in May 1929) from the 1st January, 1931, to a rate which will bring the fares per mile more into line with those charged on the Chinese Section.
Local and Joint Sectional earnings are however, only about 45% of our total earnings, so there will still be a heavy decrease in net earnings, until we are in a position to raise the Through Fares also. This is not considered advisable until the track on
on the Chinese Section is put in a condition suitable for the safe and proper working of the new express engines, when the duration of the through journey is anticipated to be reduced to a little over 3 hours.
Technical Institute.
The increase referred to is entirely due to the adoption of the recommendations of the Salaries Report in the form in which they were accepted by this Council.
Vote For Furniture.
The reply to the question on the Furniture Vote requires some detail. It is contained in the following figures.
76