5.
83
4/53562/35
11 / 3019!!
Geal.
due to decreased sales of Government opium, 'Water Excess
Supply and Meter Rents' (page 8) is down for the reason
given in paragraph 3 of this despatch, whilst the reduction
from $273,000 to $134,000 in 'Kowloon-Canton Railway
Auxiliary Operations - Foreign Haulage' (page 10) is caused
by the Chinese Section of the Railway doing their own hauling
as from 1st May next.
10.
The
On the expenditure side there is little that
is new that has not already received your approval.
reasons for the increases in the Police Force are fully
explained on page 14 of the Colonial Secretary's speech
at the first reading of the Budget. In connection with
the increases for the Trade School under the Education
Department, and the new post of Professional Assistant
for the Royal Observatory I would invite your attention
to Sir Thomas Southorn's despatches No.429 of 16th July
and No.474 of 17th August, 1935, respectively. To both of
these items of expenditure the Colony is more or less
committed. There are only small increases in the Medical
Department, which has expanded considerably during the last
few years, as the present is not the time for undertaking
new obligations on the part of Government. The Colony may
in fact regard itself as fortunate that it has not yet had
to cut down on its social services.
11.
'Public Works Recurrent' has been reduced by
$143,100, whilst 'Public Works Extraordinary' contains no
new items of any magnitude for the reasons I have already
given. As explained in the Colonial Secretary's speech at the First Reading it is not proposed to put officers on to the permanent establishment on the expiry of their existing agreements, but, if still required, to retain them on a
temporary