Q 5-
Expenditure.
(b.) an excess of over $26,000.00 on the Vote-Maintenance of Telephones owing to the very heavy repairs to the Gap Rock cable and to laying a new underground cable to replace the aerial wires between Tsim-sha-tsui and Hung Hom.
(c.) an increase of 431.86 million gallons in the number of gallons of water pumped as compared with 1920 and the additional cost involved in supplying an unusual number of water meters owing to the abnormal building development.
Item (iii).-As regards Hongkong alone, the increase on buildings amounts to over $167,000; Drainage $17,000; Miscellaneous $152,000; Compensation and Resumption $98,000; and Water Works $31,000. In addition to these increases, the expenditure on Praya East Reclamation Scheme is $325,798.90 whilst there was no expenditure under this head in 1920. The total of these increases comes up to over $790,000 but at the same time there is a decrease of about $273,000 on Communications. Taken as a whole the Expenditure on Hongkong alone shows an increase of $517,000.
The expenditure on Kowloon shows a decrease of about $9,000 and that of the New Territories is $450,593.10 against $494,036.95 in 1920 representing a decrease of about $37,000. The expenditure on votes not appearing in the Estimates is $61,525.41 as compared with $37,093.83 in 1920-an increase of $24,431.58.
Revenue from Water Works.
3. Water Works Revenue.-The following is a statement of the revenue derived from Water Works during 1921, the figures for 1920 being given in a parallel column for purposes of comparison :-
1921 1920 Total City including Wongneichong Village and properties bordering Shaukiwan Road $171,531.40 $163,899.86 Hill District 9,617.33 16,605.99 Pokfulam District 6,337.35 6,337.35 Kowloon: including Shamshuipo and Kowloon City 292,368.46 418,008.91 Aberdeen 13,853.30 5,385.30 Kepulse Bay ... ... Shaukiwan 79,493.60 51,365.54 Laichikok 3,576.75 570.16 Fan Ling 3,108.53 ... Repulse Bay 4,054.67 ... Total $669,416.06 $589,330.13 Excess Consumption Rates 2% $355,347.49 $314,068.57 Total $1,024,763.55 $903,398.70The figures which include for the first time the Districts of Repulse Bay and Fan Ling-show an increase in all cases amounting in the aggregate to $80,085.93.