Enclosure no.4.
387
HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
111
must clearly be left to the Director of Public Works who will deal no doubt with the problem piece meal, giving notice in advance to each section in which he proposes to substitute the meterage and street fountains system for rider mains. We shall then be in the position that has been the object of all our experts and authorities for all these years in which all house supplies will be metered and a house supply will be connected on demand. Restriction when called for will apply to all alike but with the safeguards automatically provided against waste should not be of the drastic nature to which we have been accustomed for so long. For the rest a constant supply should be made possible through the street fountains.
I therefore move:-
That in the opinion of this Council the time has come for the Colony to abandon the principle of the rider main system, substituting therefor the principle of compulsory meterage to all house supplies to which the alternative shall be a free supply from street fountains.
HON. SIR HENRY POLLOCK.-While we are indebted to the Government and the Colonial Secretary for the very full statement, I feel that it would not be right for the Unofficial members to arrive at a decision until we have a full opportunity of consulting one another. An adjournment will also give an opportunity to the public to bring forward any point they might wish to make known in this matter.
I would therefore ask that this question be adjourned until the next meeting of this Council and that such adjournment be for a fortnight.
H.E. THE OFFICER ADMINISTERING THE GOVERNMENT. -It will be adjourned for a fortnight.
CHARGES OF THE YEAR 1931.
TLS COLONIAL TREASURER moved the first reading of a Bill intituled "An Ordinance to authorize the Appropriation of a Supplementary Sum of One million eight hundred and eighteen thousand three hundred and seven Dollars and seventy-eight Cents to defray the Charges of the year 1931." He said. The details of all the items making up this sum have already been fully explained to honourable members from time to time and have received the approval of the Finance Committee and of this Council in the usual way.
The detailed Statement of Expenditure and the Report on the Finance for 1931, copies of which have already been furnished to each member, give the reasons for the excesses.