COLONIAL REPORTS-ANNUAL.
Against the above mentioned increases must be set the following noticeable decreases :-
(a) Profits on Subsidiary Coins - $42,404
(b) Other Miscellaneous Receipts, due to a falling off in the profits derived from balances in the hands of the Crown Agents. 64,585
(c) Interest 5,936.
EXPENDITURE.
The total expenditure, chargeable to current revenue, amounted to $2,474,910.37 as compared with $2,972,373.01 expended during 1895. This marked difference is mainly due to a decrease of $768,331.07 in the expenditure on Public Works Extraordinary, the sum expended in 1895 on the Taipingshan Improvement Scheme amounting to $821,261 as against only $17,847 so expended during the year under review. There is also a saving on salaries of some $11,000, and a decrease in the expenditure of the Post Office on account of Transit Charges amounting to $5,959, giving, with the addition of other minor decreases, a total decrease in expenditure of $795,248.15 as compared with the year 1895.
From the above total decrease must be deducted a total increase of $297,785.51, giving a net decrease of $497,462.64 in the expenditure for 1896 in comparison with the preceding year.
The increases are distributed and accounted for as follows:-
(1) Military Expenditure, $156,971.
(2) Charge on account of Public Debt, being the contribution to the new Sinking Fund, $16,779.
(3) Fire Brigade, $13,786, due to the purchase of a new Floating Fire Engine.
(4) Sanitary Department, $10,736, due to an increase of the staff.
(5) Public Works Recurrent, $15,184, due to extensive repairs to Government Buildings during the year, the cost of maintenance of the new Kowloon Waterworks, and the improvement of street lighting.
(6) Appropriations in aid of expenditure transferred to General Revenue, $65,096.
The expenditure on Public Works Extraordinary, chargeable to Loan, amounted to $230,619.32 for 1896 as against a sum of $183,186.27 expended thereon in 1895.