S. O.
(M.F. 237.
(2)
A plea for relief from assessment tax was presented by Che Hon. Dr. R. H. Kotewall and the Hon. Mr. T. N. Chau, but the Colonial Treasurer pointed out that separate assessment for each floor would involve a trebling of the staff and would
e impracticable.
•
Other interesting points in the course of the debate were: A tentative promise by the Government to build a motor road to Saiwan if the Chinese Bathing Clubs are shifted there.
The raising of a new loan in the near future.
Explanations of the delay in building the Central British school and adding a second harbour pipe line.
Prospect of abolition of free allowance of water.
Plans for extension of facilities for vocational education. Government undertaking that if any profit is made on the City Hall and Government House development scheme, it will be spent in ameliorating the slum condition in the city.
The resumption of a hotbed of malaria at Aberdeen and still greater efforts to stamp out the disease at Shing Mun.
35
SLUM CLEARANCE WORK
The Hon. Sir Henry Pollock said:—Your Excellency, It is my privilege 88 Senior Unofficial
Member, to address this Council regarding the Budget for 1934, on behalf of the whole body of the Unofficial members, with the ex- caption of the Honourable Mr. J.P. Braga, who unfortunately prevented by illness from attend- ing our meeting, and the Honour- able Mr. Paul Lauder, who absent from the Colony.
was
was
It comes as no surprise to those who have watched the depressing and progressively downward course of trade in this Colony, which has naturally been accom- panied by a big shrinkage in some of our important heads of revenue, to learn that the Government is ance again producing a "colourless budget"
Perhaps the only thing upon which the Colony can whole-heart- edly congratulate itself, in con- nexion with the Estimates for 193-1, is that no increase of taxation is considered necessary, as might well have been the case if the course of exchange between our local dollar and sterling had been less favourable to us. At the same time we have the sum of $500,000 re the Naval Arsenal and Kellett Island still unpaid.
And now, for convenience sake, I will endeavour, in reply to the apeech of the Honourable the Act- ing Colonial Secretary, to deal with the various subjects dealt with by him in the same order as be has done.
Liquor, Tobacco and Opium.
With regard to the considerable drop in the import duties on liquor and tobacco for the first half of 1983 as compared with the Esti-
are
mates for that period, we should like, as drinks and smokes perhaps the last things which people ordinarily forego, a search- ing inquiry to be made as to whether we might not, in these hard times, possibly obtain larger local consumption and venue by reducing the duties on liquor and tobacco.
more re-
Whilst fully recognising the good intentions of those who think' that they
can succeed in pro- hibiting the smoking of opium, we regret that, with our long ex- perience of this Colony, we con- sider that such an aim is a hope- less one.
It is satisfactory to note that the Government is seriously con- sidering the erection of a new Post Office at Kowloon Point, and we hope that its erection will not remain merely a pious hope for many years to come as has happen- ed in the case of the new Gaol, the new Government Civil Hospital, the new Central British School and other projects which have hung fire for so long in the past after having been approved of in prin- ciple.
Central British School.
In regard to the new Central British School, this seems a con- venient point to interpose some words of criticism.
On Septembeer 22, 1932, in the debate on the Budget for 1933 (see Hongkong Hansard for 1932, at page 154) the then acting Colonial Secretary, the Honourable Mr. E. R. Hallifax, said:
"The Government has selected the Government Civil Hospital, the Central British School and the Kowloon Hospital as the objects on which attention should most immediately be concentrated."
The results of that concentra- tion as regards the site for the new Central British School have been particularly disappointing.
In view of the fact that the site, which had been originally selected
the for
School, had pro- (notwithstanding repeated tests from the Kowloon Residents'
Association) at the time when the then Acting Colonial Secretary made the above remarks, been al- ready appropriated as a site for the new Mental Hospital, one would have thought that the very least that the Government should have done would have been to let out the contract for the site forma- tion of the new substituted site for the new Central British Schoo as soon as possible after the 22nd September, 1932, and thus remove as speedily as possible the dis- grace of British children in this Colony continuing for one moment longer than was necessary to be taught in the higgledy-piggledy and far too small congerie of buildings which form the present Central British School.
But what are the facts as to the site formation of the new school site?
They are almost unbelievable.
I have recently learned, as the result of inquiries, that the con- tract for the site formation of the new site for the new School was only signed on May 30 this year, and that the contract stipulates 15 months for the completion of such site formation.
So much for Government con- centration.
Air Services.
In regard to Air Services, we would echo the hope, expressed by the Honourable the Acting Colonial Secretary, that very shortly agreements, on a mutually