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it by patience and by holding out to each individual substantial inducements and facilities to improve. This has been done and I have reason to be satisfied with the progress made and being made.
25. In proportion, however, as you find less chance of diminishing your police expenditure, owing to the peculiar geographical position and exceptional circumstances of the Colony, I would be glad that you should, as I have already said, turn your attention to effecting economy in other departments. I am aware of the difficulty attending attempts to accomplish departmental retrenchment without impairing efficiency. Lord Lawrence has recently described how he commenced his late administration, hoping and resolved to effect great retrenchment in all the Indian departments, and how he was forced to leave them largely increased. I mention this not to discourage, but to prevent undue expectations. As yet, I have only seen my way doubtfully to suggesting the eventual amalgamation of most of the duties of the Treasury and Audit Office, an experiment which may be said to be now in its first stage, and the eventual saving from which may amount to upwards of $6,000 annually. Nevertheless, I think an equal saving can ere long be effected in other minor details, which, however, I have not yet ventured to put on the estimates, preferring to feel my way first. My chief wish at present is to urge on you the necessity of keeping the principle of economy in view, when possible, without impairing efficiency.
26. To facilitate your labours the form of the estimates now before you has been improved, by keeping all the expenses of each department together instead of spreading them, as formerly, over different and totally unconnected pages. Because some departmental expenses are for "establishments" and others are "exclusive of establishments," and others again for "rent," or "transport," I see no reason why such expenses should not be grouped together. Such an arrangement, whilst more symmetrical and clear, does not interfere, as you will find, with the distinct classification of the details so grouped.
27. In the summary you will see the totals of the cost of all the departments collectively and separately, as proposed for next year, side by side with the expenses incurred for the same during the past year. You will there see that the total expenditure of last year amounted to $901,311, whereas the vote proposed for next year is nearly $200,000 less—or $791,882. This diminution is, in a great measure, owing to the fact of the large arrears of the military contribution having been paid last year, so that there is about $114,000 less to provide on that service alone.
28. Improved arrangements of your estimates will probably prevent many mistakes. Few persons, and certainly not those to whom it would be inconvenient that accurate information opposed to their theories and objects should be forced on them, take much trouble in sifting such dry details. It must also be admitted that it was not easy formerly to understand the annual estimates. Thus in the Harbour Master's Department, there were no means of knowing accurately the cost of the gunpowder depôt, a concern which accidentally is superintended by the Harbour Master, but which has little connection with his special duties as such. You can, however, now see that, independent of the sum necessary to reserve for purchase of a new hulk hereafter, the annual cost of the gunpowder depôt is $3,928. On the other hand, if any one were to ask how much the office of Harbour Master, properly so-called, costs the colony, it would be impossible to say, because you cannot divide the $21,272 allotted to the department so as to distinguish the cost of the ordinary duties of the office from others even more important and onerous which devolve on him for suppression of piracy and crime under the Harbour and Coasts Ordinance. The latter involve the examination, visiting, registration, and general superintendence of about 36,000 junks annually, and this in a colony where each year 5 millions of tons of shipping, manned by 800,000 sailors, arrive and depart.
29. In a similar manner it may be said that the establishment of the Postmaster General has increased largely from a total expenditure in 1868 of $32,088 last year, to an estimated expenditure of $41,112 for 1870. New duties entail fresh expenses, and Her Majesty's Government having imposed on this the superintendence of the various postal stations at the ports in China and Japan, there is now an expenditure of about $10,560 in salaries, rent, and allowances at the ports, instead of about $4,000 formerly. It is true the Colony receives from the British Government an annual reimbursement in aid, of $6,000, and an increased profit on letters, which however has not averaged more than $500. The bargain, therefore, has not been a good one, especially if you have often to incur such an outlay as that of paying $10,000 to build a post-office at Japan.
30. You will also find that a sum of $6,744 is expended by the Government on marine sorters employed on board the various mail steamers from Singapore here and hence to
328
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Hong Kong Annual Administration Reports, 1841-1941
REPORTS EXHIBITING TIIE PRESENT STATE
it by patience and by holding out to cach individual substantial inducements and facili tics to improve. This has been done and I have reason to be satisfied with the progress made and being made.
25. In proportion, however, as you find less chance of diminishing your police expen diture, owing to the peculiar geographical position and exceptional circumstances of the Colony, I would be glad that you should, as I have already said, turn your attention to effecting economy in other departments. I am aware of the difficulty attending attempts to accomplish departmental retrenchment without impairing efficiency. Lord Lawrence has recently described how he commenced his late administration, hoping and resolved to effect great retrenchment in all the Indian departments, and how he was forced to leave them largely increased. I mention this not to discourage, but to prevent undue expectations. As yet, I have only seen my way doubtfully to suggesting the eventual amalgamation of most of the duties of the Treasury and Audit Office, an experiment which may be said to be now in its first stage, and the eventual saving from which may amount to upwards of $6,000 annually. Nevertheless, I think an equal saving can cre long be effected in other minor details, which, however, I have not yet ventured to put on the estimates, preferring to feel my way first. My chief wish at present is to urge on you the necessity of keeping the principle of economy in view, when possible, without impairing efficiency.
26. To facilitate your labours the form of the estimates now before you has been im proved, by keeping all the expenses of cach department together instead of spreading them, as formerly, over different and totally unconnected pages. Because some departe mental expenses are for "establishments" and others are "exclusive of establishments, and others again for "rcut," or "transport," I see no reason why such expenses should not be grouped together. Such an arrangement, whilst more symmetrical and clear, does not interfere, as you will find, with the distinct classification of the details so grouped.
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27. In the summary you will see the totals of the cost of all the departments collectively and separately, as proposed for next year, side by side with the expenses incurred for the same during the past year. You will there see that the total expen diture of last year amounted to $001,311, whereas the vote proposed for next year is nearly $200,000 less-or $791,882. This diminution is, in a great measure, owing to the fact of the large arrears of the military contribution having been paid last year, so that there is about $114,000 less to provide on that service alone.
28. Improved arrangements of your estimates will probably prevent many mistakes Few persons, and certainly not those to whom it would be inconvenient that. accurate in formation opposed to their theorics and objects should be forced on them, take much trouble in sifting such dry details. It must also be admitted that it was not easy formerly to understand the annual estimates. Thus in the Harbour Master's Depart ment, there were no means of knowing accurately the cost of the gunpowder depôt, a concern which accidentally is superintended by the Harbour Master, but which has little connection with his special duties as such. You can, however, now see that, independent of the sum necessary to reserve for purchase of a new hulk hereafter, the annual cost of the gunpowder depôt is $3,928. On the other hand, if any one were to ask how much the office of Harbour Master, properly so-called, costs the colony, it would be impossiblo to say, because you cannot divide the $21,272 alloted to the department so as to dis tinguish the cost of the ordinary duties of the office from others even more important and onerous which devolve on him for suppression of piracy and crime under the Harbour and Coasts Ordinance. The latter involve the examination, visiting, registra tion, and general superintendence of about 36,000 junks annually, and this in a colony where cach year 5 millions of tons of shipping, manned by 800,000 sailors, arrive and depart.
29. In a similar manner it may be said that the establishment of the Postmaster General has increased largely from a total expenditure in 1868 of $32,088 last year, to an estimated expenditure of $41,112 for 1870. New duties entail fresh expenses, and Her Majesty's Government having imposed on this the superintendence of the variou postal stations at the ports in China and Japan, there is now an expenditure of about $10,560 in salaries, rent, and allowances at the ports, instead of about $4,000 formerly It is truc the Colony receives from the British Government an annual reimbursement in aid, of $6,000, and an increased profit on letters, which however has not averaged more than $500. The bargain, therefore, has not been a good one, especially if you have often to incur such an outlay as that of paying $10,000 to build a post-office at Japan.
30. You will also find that a sum of $6,744 is expended by the Government on maring sorters employed on board the various mail steamers from Singapore here and hence to
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