to say, to enable us to communicate with prac tically the whole of the Far East, Singapors and Kobe. It is very difficult to get any re- liable figures, but we had oue estimate which bas already been submitted by the Chamber to your Excellency. It seems a low one, but at the same time I gathered that a 16 kilowat station available for 1,500 miles could be erected for something like $18,000, while a 20 kilowat station would cost about half as much again and give us a longer range. We understand, of course, that this is a very important question, and cannot be settled by the local government, as questions of Imperial defence are involved, and maybe the Home Government will decided that 1,500 miles range is not sufficient for their needs. That we do want a station of at least that power is, I think, the unanimous opinion of all those interested in the Colony. Another point to which 1 would like to rofer is the training of nullahs. A sum of only $30,000 has been set aside for this very impor- tant work, and as the Sanitary Board have plus before them for the training of many miles at the earliest possible moment. I think this grant ought to be increased Another small matter is the question of putting grati gs over the on- trance to storm drains. They oxist in the town. but not on the Peak, and we know of one caso where a leading resident lost his life by falling into one two or three years ago, and the only wonder is that other accidents have not occurred. Another point to which I would refer is the military contribution.
HIS EX EL ENCY The hou. member will excuse me. That is scarcely in order, as it is excluded from the vote. We have in the orders of the day a Bill dealing with the sabject, and the disenssion had better come under that head- ing.
we
Hon. Mr. HeWETT-Very good, Sir. Your Excellency wound up by referring to the revenue of the Colony, which is now some 74 million dollars This, of course, shows an enormons in- crease in the prosperity of the business of the Colony as compared with 20 years ago, when the revenue was a little nuder two millions. But satisfactory as these figures may appear, know perfectly well that for many months past the trade of the Colony has not been satisfactory. Your Excellency made some remarks in a speech some months ago of a distinctly optimistic nature, which I am afraid would hardly be endorsed to the full by many of the business men of the Colony, because at that time they found trade far from satisfactory. I do not seo that prospects have improved, although it is true that, owing to trouble in China, large numbers of people are coming into the Colony. The tram cars and the owners of property may benefit, but that does not make for good trade. As matters have now developed in China, affairs cannot but be considered very serious, and it is quite impossible to say when trade will resume its normal volume, probably not for many months, and although on the face of! it we are well off, it is absolutely necessary that the strictest economy should be exercised, I now come to the most important portion of the Budget, the Public Works Department. For several years past I have had the bonoar of being asked by my colleagues to reply to the Governor's Budget speech, and on every oc casion I have drawn attention to the waste of time and money caused through the dilatory manner in which the various works under discussion
being were
constructed. We regret to find that in this respect there is no sign of improvement. Last year I asked for some assurance that an improvement might be made in this direction, and that we should not on that, the one occasion of the year when we could fully criticise the policy of the Gov- ernment in the interests of the ratepayers, be
8.
Wo that
pnt off with unsatisfactory replies, but I can not say that the reply was satisfactory, entirely agree with your Excellency it is useless to swell the estimated expenditure by "scheduling an am itious list of works, a con- siderable portion of which are never commenced in the year for which provision has to be made," but we do consider that the construction of public works should be pressed ou far more rapidly. As matters now stand it appears the contractors are allowed to go their own gait entirely. They do not appear to be pressed to complete the work within a reasonablo time, and either are not fined at all, or inade. quately so, when their work falls behind the contract date. The Law Courig were nearly 13 years in the building, the Post Office nearly 10 years.
I have on prasious occasions pointed out the great loss, from a business point of view, thus entailed on the community. I have already referred to the manner in which that urgently required work, the Typhoon, Refuge, is being carried on, and which in its turn, unless far greater energy be displayed by the contractor, may repeat the unhappy stry of the Law Courts and Post Office. The quarters at Taipo, the Bowen Road filter-beds, the Tsim Tsa Teui Market, are al exemples of the unbusiness-like methodsł adopted in executing important work. „On even small matters, such as the paring of a short section of Ice House Road, the new time- ball tower, and the pedes'al for the statue of H.B.H. The Duke of Connaught, moutbs are spent where E few weeks at the most should
have been sufficient. Our criticisms in the past seein to have boen of no
avail, and the contractors appear have everything their Own WRY. the interests of the ratepayers of Hongkong we consider the time has now arrived when we should no longer cou- tent ourselves with criticism; we roust act. We desire on this occasion to make an farnest protest against the undue delay experi- onced in executing work in this Colony. The Public Works Department is estimated next year to requiro somo $2,000,000, or nearly 25 per cent. of our total revenue. Many reasons and oxonses have been put for ward for the long-drawn-out mabyer iu which works are con-tructed
to
Ia
One
19 that funds are not always available. If this is the case, we consider it would be to the great advantage of the ratepayers where in special cases, such as the Law Courts, Typhoon Refuge, or Tytam Reservoir, works all requir- ing a larve expendituro, the Government should be authorised by the Secretary of State to raiso, short loans repayable, say, in five years. This would enable the work to be pushed on far more rapidly than is often at prosent the case. We understand a special committee has been ; appointed to enquire into the building of the Tsim Tea eui Market, We would go further and DOW ask that the report of this debate
be
8
copy of
forwarded
to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and that the right honourable gentleman be requested to sanction the appointment of Commissioners (under Ordinance No. 13 of 1886) to fully enquire into the adminis tration and working of the Public Works Department. Also to enquire into the causes of past delays in the execution of public works and to sugges mesos for preventing a repeti- tion of such delays in future. We be- lieve that the result would be highly beneficial to all, and that in the future the exs. eution not only of Government, but also private, works would be greatly facilitated and improved. There is only one other point, your Ex- ellency, to which I shall refor. I have spoken on more than one occasion with regard to the man-
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