CO129-318 - Governor Sir Blake - 1903 [7-10] — Page 580

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seems due to increase in cost of stationery, etc.,

other articles imported i.e., to fall in exchange.

Military Contribution.

$374,508.92

Automatic: result of increased revenue.

Public Works Department $31,748.50

and

Several new appointments and sterling salaries account

for this.

Public Works Recurrent. $12,200.

Evenly distributed and explained on page 9 of memorandum

where necessary. Partly compensated by reduction of

$3,000 in Waterworks Expenditure.

The total increase in ordinary expenditure, allowing for

reduct ions in some departments is over $540,000 but all

the additions seem absolutely necessary.

ན ན ན ན མ པ དག་

As stated above, the ordinary revenue shews

a surplus over ordinary expenditure of $950,359.

The expenditure on Public Works Extraordinary is very

large 1,273,400, as against $931,100 last year.

We appear to have sanctioned every dollar of this expen-

diture except the Taipo Office quarters ($10,000)

tioned in despatch:

Men-

and the Kowloon Rifle Ranges (Papers not yet disposed

of)and it is hard to point to any item which can be

omitted or postponed. Many of the works have already

been begun. The Prison on Stonecutter Island and the

transfer of the Gunpowder Depôt to Green Island go to-

gether and a new Prison has been convincingly shewn to

be absolutely necessary.

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