Miscellaneous Services.
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Savings were effected on Other Miscellaneous Services of $23,684; this account is of a very variable nature. The cost of Miscellaneous Papers was less by $10,938 owing to more work being done in the Gaol Printing Shop, and Transport of Government Servants was less than the estimate by $97,436. An additional sum of $7,960 was, however, required for the vote for Broadcasting due to the payment of royalty to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry in respect of the broadcasting of gramophone records. The votes for Rent Allowances for Senior Officers and European Subordinate Officers showed savings of $8,039 and $2,198 respectively, but an additional sum of $12,856 was required for Asiatic Subordinate Officers provision having been underestimated. More telegrams sent caused an excess on the appropriate vote of $3,636, and a new item appeared of $7,743 to meet the expenses of the Mui Tsai Commission.
Public Works Recurrent.
Every effort was made to curtail expenditure on recurrent public works, expenditure on maintenance being kept to a minimum. The total vote was $1,469,000 and savings were effected totalling $385,980, the main decreases being on Maintenance of Buildings, Hong Kong, $127,776, Kowloon $21,491, New Kowloon $6,917 and New Territories $13,744. A further sum of $7,179 was saved on Maintenance of lighthouses. On Roads and Bridges the sums spent were less than estimated in respect of Hong Kong (in City) $30,920, (outside City) $25,879, in Kowloon $32,630, New Kowloon $9,206 and in the New Territories $26,064.
There were increases of $7,962 and $8,034 on the votes for Maintenance of the Vehicular Ferry Piers at Jubilee Street, Hong Kong, and Jordan Road, Kowloon. The sums provided had been underestimated.
More extensive water metered services necessitated increases on the votes for upkeep and repairs of meters of $19,928 in Hong Kong and $2,499 in Kowloon.
But the main reason why the net sum unspent was reduced from the above figure of $385,980 to $159,688 was the disastrous typhoon which struck Hong Kong on the night of 17th August. Extensive damage was done and a total sum of $182,730 was required to repair it; $81,528 in Hong Kong, $26,990 in Kowloon, $21,590 in New Kowloon, and $52,622 in the New Territories.
Public Works Extraordinary.
The total provision in the Estimates under this Head was $3,207,560, while $3,052,900 was spent, a decrease of $154,660. Only seven items showed an increase and there were four new items introduced. Greater progress than anticipated was made towards the completion of the Queen Mary Hospital, and the