61. The amount provided in the Estimates for the year 1931 under Special Expenditure was $112,190.00 and during the year various other amounts were voted, making a total of $173,755.00. Sheung Shui Station extension and other items of expenditure, for reasons of economy, were postponed, and in consequence $52,428.99 lapsed; but on account of the derailment at Mile 9 and washout to embankment south of Shatin, a supplementary vote of $53,198.00 was taken to meet the cost of these repairs.
62. The Special Expenditure for the year 1931 has been allocated between Capital, Revenue, and Depreciation Reserves. The portion chargeable to Capital is included in the Capital Account, while the Revenue items are debited to Operating Expenses. The cost of rebuilding coaches some 20 years old, and the repairs to the three coaches damaged in the accident at Mile 92 are charged to Depreciation Reserves.
63. The total expended under the Head Special Expenditure amount to $110,177.23 and the details are shown on the tables herein.
64. The sale of old Main Line materials amounted to $26.39, and some old Fanling Branch rails disposed of realised $9,443.14. The Fanling Branch Line Capital Account is now written down to $721.03 which represents the present market value of one old locomotive and a quantity of rails still unsold.
65. The third instalment on account of the re-railing of Tunnel No. 2 in 1928 was included in the Operating Expenses.
66. At the close of the year, the Capital Account stood at $20,325,261.67 by the additions of Special Expenditure charges of $14,638.50 and after allowing for credits on account of sales of old materials and the year's instalment on re-railing Tunnel No. 2.
67. The sum provided under Personal Emoluments was $362,776.00 and the Expenditure $355,648.91. The amount expended in excess of the estimate on account of a lower rate of exchange was $9,634.06, but there were credits on account of work carried out in the Workshops for other departments, and also savings due to new appointments and staff changes,
The net saving was therefore $7,127.09.
etc.
68. The estimate for Other Charges was $462,111.00, excluding subhead 34 Motor Cars and Lorries Running Expenses, and the Expenditure $401,102.71 or $61,008.29 less than the amount provided.
69. Under General Charges there were small savings under various subheads, and the total expenditure was $605.78 less than the estimate.