Maintenance of Buildings,
New Territories.
Typhoon and Rainstorm Damages,
Maintenance of Laichikok Water Works,
"1
Expenditure.
$ 3,909.06
12,043.72
$50.44
The excesses on "Maintenance of Buildings were due to expenditure on buildings acquired by Government as residences for the Chief Justice and Colonial Secretary, on the Ellis Kadoorie School for Indian Boys, which was handed over to Government, on the Opium Factory, which was leased by Government; and on the reinstatement of Tai O Police Station, which was damaged by fire, and to increases in the cost of electrical and other stores, etc.; those on Gas Lighting" to the grant of an increase of 20% in the rates paid to the Gas Company for street lighting owing to the great rise in the price of coal, etc., resulting from the War; those on "Typhoon and Rainstorm Damages" to the severe rainstorms which occurred in June, August and September; that on "City and Hill District Water Works" to increases in the amount of pumping and in the cost of coal; that on "Improvements to Roads and Bridges, Kowloon," to the linking up of the southern and northern portions of Nathan Road by forming a temporary road from Yaumati Theatre to Yaumati School; that on "Maintenance of Sewers, Nullahs, &c., Kowloon", to general causes; that on "Electric Lighting, Kowloon", to extensions of lighting and that on "Maintenance of Water Works, Laichikok", to a special cleansing of the filter beds and repairs to the channel which conveys the water to the filter beds.
Comparison of Expenditure, 1917 and 1918.
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2. The following is a statement of the expenditure in 1918 as compared with that of the previous year:—
1917. 1918. Increase. Decrease. $ $ $ $ (i) Personal Emoluments and Other Charges, 402,772.20 374,906.32 27,865.88 (14) Special Expenditure, ... 296.30 296.30 (ii) Annually Recurrent Works, 609,308.45 712,675.37 103,366.92 34,686.16 103,663.22 62,552.04 (iii) Extraordinary Works,... 1,612,835.28 1,578,149.12 34,686.16 Total, $2,624,916.93 $2,666,027.11Item (i)-The decrease is due to the increased number of officers on Active Service, any amounts paid by way of salary to such officers being debited to "War Expenditure", and to the higher rate of exchange prevalent in 1918, namely, an average of 3/22 as compared with 2/74 during 1917.