HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
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I can get figures taken out if necessary and I think they would be rather illuminating.
The Retrenchment Commission.
Apart from a decision not to fill certain posts which are at present vacant, the question of actual retrenchment of posts must await the recommendations of the Retrenchment Commission. The members of that Commission are dealing with the question very thoroughly, and Government is most grateful to them. I trust that their enquiries will lead to further economies.
I may say, with reference to the suggestion of my honourable friend Mr. Braga regarding local recruiting, that it is a question that I have had under consideration ever since I came here, and I have not only asked the Retrenchment Commission to consider it, but I have instructed several departments to see how far it is possible to achieve something on these lines.
Education Policy.
Education costs us a good deal, but if the present policy is to be maintained, the cost is unavoidable. At the same time, I have given a great deal of thought to the question of our policy, and confess to some doubts whether it is entirely justified. I have been struck by the high age of a number of the pupils at our schools. It seems to me that, owing to our present system, they stay there for three to four years more than is justified. Naturally the longer the boys are kept at schools, the fees at which are admittedly too low to cover the cost, the greater is the expenditure incurred by Government. Further assistance to the vernacular schools and also to grant-in-aid schools might be considered if economies can be effected in other directions. I think that the whole of our educational policy must be overhauled, and I propose to seek the advice of the Education Board.
The Medical Department.
With regard to the Medical Department, I am sorry that our financial position does not enable Dr. Wellington to go as far as he had hoped in his work of improvement and extension of this department. Certain new appointments were, however, approved in connexion with this year's estimates, and some have actually been made. It is proposed to defer others for the present. The appoint- ment, however, of a venereal disease specialist will be proceeded with, and I trust will be made in the near future. We applied to the Secretary of State some time ago, some months ago, in fact, to get one, but we have not got one as yet. I am particularly anxious that this branch should be improved, as there is no doubt that, in the matter of social hygiene, Hong Kong is distinctly backward.
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