3
42
Infectious Diseases Hospital at the Kowloon Medical Centre. The Budget Committee realises that this hospital is recommended in the Technical Hospitalisation Committee's report, 1938-1939, as the first major item in a long-term programme but it feels that, apart from difficulties of providing the necessary building materials, this is not the time or place to embark immediately on this hospital. The sum of $100,000 has however been provided which is larger than the usual "token vote," in case it may be possible in the coming year to make a start.
Emergency Stores
The provision of funds for the equipment of this hospital has been omitted as it is felt that, apart from the uncertainty which surrounds the hospital itself, there are at least hopes of considerable emergency stores being available during the coming financial year.
Under Charitable Services pro- vision has been made for a grant of $10,000 to the British Fund for the Relief of Distress in China and under Miscellaneous Services, in response to pressing representations from the University Authorities, the annual grant to the University of Hongkong has been increased by the sum of $100,000.
The Select Committee also brought under review the matter of the
institution, at a cost of over four lakhs, of a system of nightsoil re- moval by labour directly employed by the Sanitary Department. As it is impossible, in present circum- stances, to proceed with the complete scheme
as recommended by the Health Authorities considerable doubt was expressed as to whether the benefits to be gained by the sub- stitution of coolies employed by Government for the existing free- lance coolies would be commensurate with the expenditure involved: it was decided, however, that the pro- vision for the emoluments of the 2,000 coolies should be allowed to stand in the draft estimates on the understanding that no actual ex- penditure will be incurred without the specific approval of the Finance Committee after further considera- tion of the whole matter.
There was insufficient time, when this item came for consideration, to reach a final decision on this important question and the Finance Committee desires an early oppor- tunity of a full discussion with the Health Authorities, upon which will depend the question of authorising actual expenditure.
Additional Items
The following are the items which have been added:
Head, 5, Charitable Services.-
Sub-head 23, Grant to
British Fund for the
Relief of Distress in
China
$10,000.
Head 17, Miscellaneous Services.---
Sub-head 24, University
of Hongkong
(Increased from $355,000
to $455,000)
$100,000
$110,000
The following are the items which have been omitted or reduced:
Head 11A, Harbour Department.——— Sub-head 1, Personal Emoluments.
Crew for New Light-
house Tender Sub-head 21, New
Lighthouse Tender $ 600,000 Head 16, Medical Department.
Sub-head 68, Equip-
ment for new In- fectious Diseases Hospital
Head 30, Public Works
Extraordinary.
$
3,471
$ 103,590
Sub-head 5, Central Police Station-New Block (Reduced from $800,000 to $50,000) $ 750,000 Sub-head 26, In- Diseases
fectious
Hospital (Reduced from $500,000 $100,000)
Total Savings
to
$ 400,000
$1,857,061
More Revenue Anticipated Turning to the other side of the picture, the new or additional duties on table waters, hydrocarbon oils and liquor which
were imposed with effect from January 16 have neces- sitated a revision of the estimate of revenue: revenue from Duties will, it is now estimated, amount to $15,690,000 instead of $13,740,000.
The estimated deficit of $7,553,776 shown in the draft estimates as pre- sented on January 16 is thus reduced to $3,856,715.
Lastly, I would remind Hon. Members that every item of Special Expenditure in all departments and every item of Public Works Extra- ordinary requires the independent sanction of Government apart from the general provision offered by the Appropriation Bill. Should revenue fall short of expectations or should expenditure at present unforeseen be incurred, that sanction will be with- held.
Besides thanking, on behalf of the Government and, I think I may say the whole Colony, the Unofficial Members for the time and labour which they gave to the preparation of the estimates in their revised form, I should like to express my particular gratitude to the Financial Secretary and to his assistant, Mr Todd.
I ain very conscious of my own shortcomings in this respect but I feel sure that Hon. Members will appreciate that during the past few months it has been physically impos- sible to devote the time and attention that are normally expected of a Colonial Secretary in framing the financial policy for the coming year. (Applause).
The Financial Secretary seconded the motion.
HON. MR J. J. PATERSON
Parties to Evacuation Behaved Badly
CONDUCT OF GOVERNMENT
The Hon. Mr J. J. Paterson said: Sir, It is usual for the official opening the debate to deal with those matters on which we are all agreed and in which no other member has any very special inter- est. This procedure this year leaves me little to say.
We have written His Excellency i about the conduct of some of Gov- ernment's affairs which we sadly feel to be bad. This will, we hope, be dealt with at another time; we do wonder how it is that, alone of all the Services and unlike the busi- ness world, no member of our local Heavenborn is ever dismissed for in- efficiency. Perhaps the answer is that none is ever inefficient.
The Budget is a good Budget and on behalf of all the Unofficials I would like to thank our Financial Secretary for the very great care he has taken of the Colony's finances.
We have suggested the postpone- ment of various works which we be- lieve can very well keep until later and these have been agreed to, I think the result lies on the table. There is one item, however, which still remains open, the collection of nightsoil by Government at a cost of $384,000 for coolies only. We firmly believe supervision can be given to the existing arrangement until we can see more clearly what the future holds for us.
The necessity for Evacuation is at last apparent; I feel that some part of all three parties to it behaved badly-the Colonial Government which failed completely to make proper arrangements ahead of the event, some of the evacuees who con- tinue to complain, I think, unduly of hardships which, when viewed in the bomb-light of Coventry, are little enough, and the Home Government when it failed to enforce laws laid down and allowed non-co-operation to succeed. A Trinity of Incompre- hensibility which reminds me of St Athanasius, his creed.
GOVERNMENT SERVICE
Hon. Mr Dodwell on Need For Overhaul
TOO MANY COMPLAINTS
The Hon. Mr S. H. Dodwell said: Sir, Amendments to the Budget recommended by the Select Com- mittee and agreed to by His Ex- cellency have considerably reduced the deficit originally fore-shadowed I by my Honourable friend
Financial Secretary.
the