504
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HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
have been concluded, and Government will tories, but it has been impossible to do obtain possession of them at the end of so. the current year. The construction of the three small works under item 6 is very desirable at sanitary grounds.
the
Under the heading "Communications," item 7 (a) is retention money on a work which will be completed this year; (b) is to complete a path which the Government undertook to construct, while the sum of $15,000 provided under (c) is put as low as possible to meet probable requirements.
Under the heading "Drainage," oaly important work is that in item & (d). It is necessary on sanitary grounds to make a start on the work of draining the Boo. kunpoo Valley in view of the cocupation of the old Cotton Mills by the French Con- vent and the general development of the neighbourhood. Under item 9 the sum of $20,000 provided is considered absolute ly necessary.
spend on Public Works Extraordinary s The total sum which it is proposed to #1,279,400, which is nearly a million dollars less than the sum provided this year.
Even this reduced' expenditure, however, will result in a deficit in the budget, as a whole, of 8473,764, which will have to be met from the surplus balances of the Colony.
Post Office
post of Senior Clerk has been abolished, Under "Personal Emoluments" the
proposed to appoint in his place a Postal causing & saving of $3,762, and it is Inspector, whose principal duties will consist of the inspection of the branch post offices, and the general supervision of the posteren. No salary has been inserted in the estimates for this post, Under the heading
as it is proposed for the present to con- **Miscellaneous," ! items 11 to 14 are required to meet the by a Lance Sergeant of Police is acting tinue the temporary arrangement where- services of an ordinary year. Item 15 is to complete the dredging off Kowloon saved by the discontinuance of the sea- in the post. A sum of $2,880 has been Point and item 18 is to cover unforeseen | sorting of mails on board Peninsular and minor works. The sum provided for com | Oriental Mail Packets. pensations and resumptions is lower than nsyal, hut in the present state of our finances it is necessary to curtail auch expenditure. I have already referred to the large sum required for the waterworks under construction, but having regard to the contracts and the urgent necessity for these works, it has been impossible to reduce these items,
An addition has been made to the Radio-Telegraph Staff of two, 3rd Grade Telegraphists, who will be trained for the work at the Cape D'Aguilar Station. By this means it is anticipated that future economies may be effected. Under Mail Subsidy payable by this Colony is "Other Charges,” the share of the increased by $5.544, due to the lower rate of exchange at which the calculation is made, A sum of $1,429 has been provided for Stores for the Radio-
Station.
the working of the
With regard to Kowloon, the sums esti- mated are those required to meet the ordinary services of the year. The sum of $30,000 provided under item 28 is the graphic Station at Cape D'Aguilar. retention money on the contract for the made by the Naval Authorities, who are This is in accordance with an estimate Typhoon Refuge. This work was completed responsible for in August, some months under the con- tract time, and I think that honourable members will agree with me that its con- struction reffects much credit on Mr. Jaffé and those who were associated with him. Under the heading "Waterworks,” a sum of $14.000 has been provided for an addi- tional filter-bed, which is required.
urgently
I
In the New Territories the principal expenditure is for road construction. should have liked to provide much larger sums for the development of those Terri-
Kowloon-Canton Railway
of the Kowloon-Canton Railway appear In those estimates the working expenses in detail in the body of the Estimates, instead of being included in a-n | Appendix. The estimated expenditure
for next year is $313.905. which is 89.550 lesg than the estimate for
current items to which I would refer are
year. The only two
the
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HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
come
follows:-On page 109 provision has been | Minute No. 30 was brought before this made for nine additional porters at a Council I explained at some length the cost of $1,296, which is necessitated by the reasons which had led me to recommend expansion of the traffic. On page 110 that the Government of this Colony an increage of $1,000 has been made in the should
to the aid of these vote for Fuel Lighting, etc, for carriages, institutions during the current year. sations, and offices, as the amount pro and the same reasons apply to next vided previously was under-estimated. ¦ year. The sum provided is exclusive The estimated Revenue from the railway of the estimated receipts from local next year is $432,600, or $3,000 less than philanthropists, from the Education De the estimated Revenue for the current partment, and from the sale of work, car, leaving a net balance of earnings which are expected to amount to $2.840. over working expenses of $118,695. financial position of the Railway is shown in detail in Note 3, in Appendix
The
The Balancing of the Budget
1916. This deficit is occasioued by the inclusion in the estimates of two extra- ordinary items, namely, the War Expen diture and the expenses of construction of the Kowloon-Canton Railway, The Budget which is in the hands of honour- able members has been drawn up with
II., on page 121, from which it will be As I have already stated, a sum of secu that the deficit to be met next year 8473.764 will have to be appropriat d from Colonial Funds is A sum of from surplus balances in order to meet $523,625. In accordance with the pro- the estimated expenditure for the year posals which I made in my Despatch No. 137 of the 22nd April last, which has already been laid before you as Council Paper No. 15 of 1915, the capital con struction account is to be closed at the end of this year, and the expenses of construction beyond the authorised loans of £1,100,000 and £250,000 are included in the annual expenditure of the Colony.
They appear in detail page 112 of the Estimates. The sum required in 1916 is 386,198, the major portion of which is due to expenditure on the Station Buildings at Kowloon, and the new looo, and carriage sheds at Hunghom.
to be
Charge on Account of Public Debt
Under this head there is a total increase of $81,039, due partly to the lower rate of exchange on which the Estimates are calculated, partly to the inclusion of Crown Agents' charges on the 1000 loan, which were formerly paid out of a special fund, and to the interest due on the cost of railway construction.
Pensions
Under this head there is an increase of $54,000 due to lower exchange, and to additional pensions.
Charitable Services
great care to meet the circumstances in which we find ourselves. It is intended to meet the needs of the Public Service of this Colony, and no more than these needs. It is a Budget framed with due regard to economy, and it contains 20 expenditure which cannot be defended from that point of view.
I hope it will meet with the convenience of honourable members to take the second reading of the Supply Bill on Tuesday. the 26th Odober.
The text of the Bill is as follow:- Whereas the exponditure required for the service of this Colony for the year 1916 has, apart from the contribution to the Imperial Government in aid of Military Expenditure and Charges on account of Public Debt, been estimated at the sum of nine million eighty-one thousand two hundred and nine dollars,
Be it enacted by the Governor of Hong- kong, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:--
"
1.-This Ordinance may be cited as the Appropriation Ordinance for 1916." 2-A zum not exceeding nine millior: The only item to which I wish to refer eighty-one thousand two hundred and nine under this head is the provision of dollars shall be and the same is hereby 815,000 as a grant in aid for the main charged upon the revenue and other fund tenance during the year 1908 of the three of the Colony for the service of the year German Charitable Institutions, namely, 1916 and the said sum so charged may be the Berlin Foundling House, Blinden-expended as hereinafter specified, that is
When Financial | to my:- heim and Ebenezer.
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