25
omitted from the Estimates meanwhile.
HEAD 32.
CHARITABLE SERVICES.
232
The various grants to local Chinese charities and
hospitals have been collected under one sub-head.
The
Secretary for Chinese Affairs will supervise the allocation of
the vote, though it is not proposed to make any drastic
alteration in the present division.
Provision has been m.de for an increased grant to
the Alice Memorial and Affiliated Hospitals. They do exccllent
work which is hampered for lack of funds and the Government feels that the increase is fully justificd.
HEAD 35.-
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
I have already referred to the re-arrangement of the form in which the Public Works Departmental estimates
are printed. Hon. Members will also observe that the
Crown Lands and Surveys Offices have been re-united after a
separation of five years. As a result the senior post of
Superintendent of Crown Lands disappears. The post of Second Assistant Superintendent has also been abolished and the number of European Land Surveyors reduced by one. The
General Works Office has been abolished, and its work distribute d
amongst the architectural, Drainage and Roads Offices. It is
too early yet to say what reductions in staff will be possible
as a result. It remains to be seen how these three office s
fare with the extra work that will necessarily be thrown on to them. As a very large part of the work of the Drainage and Roads Offices is in connection with opening up and pro paring no
building