CO129-316 - Governor Sir Blake - 1903 [1-4] — Page 195

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would point out that in sanctioning the last Lean raised by

Goe Tast

this Goverment Lord Knutsford directed in paragraph 2 of his

Despatch No. 200 of the 29th. July, 1892, that the works which a).

might be charged to the Lean were the completion of the

Central Market, the Prava Reclamation and the Water and Sewer-

age undertakings".

Markets are very remunerative works in this Colony

owing to the competition to rent stalls in them. The estimated

revenue from rents of Markets for the current year is $90,000

which gives a handsome return to Government on the cost of

buildings maintenance and management.

The provision of Public Fountains is a small detail

in the general scheme of waterworks. Indirectly the Fountains

are remunerative for they prevent waste. The waterworks them -

selves are directly remunerative for the water supplied from

them is charged for either in the form of rates er, where a

district is under the meter system, by the charge, in addition

to the water rate, for the water consumed over and above an

allowance in respect of that rate. The revenue for 1903 from

the waterworks of the Colony is estimated at $250,000.

The opening of new roads in this Celony, especially

in suburban districts like Sham Shui Po and Lai-chi-kok, is

remunerative, although indirectly so,in that it renders possible

the sale of Crown Land adjoining the road and encourages

owners of private property to build in and develop the district.

The result is increased revenue from Land Sales, Crown Rent

and Assessed Taxes. In a lesser degree it is a work as remune-

rative as the Praya Reclamation.

4.

With regard to the Estimates, I have to

observe