The following is a statement of Revenue and Expenditure for the last five years.
Year.
1926
1927
1928
1929
1930
Revenue. $21,131,582
21,344,536
24,968,399
23,554,475
27,818,473
Expenditure.
$23,524,716
20,845,065
21,230,242
21,983,257
28,119,646
Public Debt:-The amount of the Public Debt which is repayable in 1932, is $4,927,000. The Sinking Fund amounted to £75,749.
Works Loan (1927) The Inscribed Stock Loans of 1893 and 1906 due for repayment in 1943 stood at £1,485,733 and Sinking Fund at £719,664.
Trade Loan:-Further 36 loans amounting to $1,280,842.65 were redeemed during the year thus reducing the number of the loans outstanding on 31st December, 1930, to 32 representing a sum of $2,064,181.75.
A list of the average monthly exchange rates is appended:-
Month.
January
Sterling.
Taels.
1/6.8376
78.8333
February
1/6.1698
78.6413
March
1/5.7762
78.2115
April
1/6.0534
78.4782
May
1/5.4123
78.5833
June
1/8.1552
81.3586
July
1/3.1511
82.7307
August
1/3.5718
83.6354
September
1/8.6850
80.4400
October
1/8.5174
80.2870
November
1/3.2955
80.1354
December
1/1.6924
77.7282
III.-Production.
FORESTRY, AGRICULTURE AND BOTANY.
Formation of Plantations.-Increased plantings of Pinus Massoniana were again carried on in areas which have been definitely allocated as forestry reserves and water catchment areas. 20,000 more trees were planted than in the previous year.
Insect Pests. Pine Tree Caterpillars (Dendrolimus punctatus) did serious damage in the Pine plantations, chiefly in the New Territories; the total weight of those collected and destroyed amounted to 17,472 pounds.
Protection of Plantations.-No serious fires in planted areas occurred during the year. A number of new fire-barriers were made.