CO129-424 - Governor Sir May - 1915 [9-10] — Page 518

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HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

based on some ancient order issued by the Becretary of State. That is not sufficient for us. We consider as business people that a business community should have placed before them A business-like balance sheet, and we ask that our views should be put before the Secretary of State to see if we can get that obsolete order cancelled. With these remarks, Sir, I now beg to move my amendment, which is:-" That the item in the Budget, namely, $140,000 for the part purchase of private moorings in the Harbour, on page 35 of the Estimates, and of $10,000 on page 31, for relaying moorings, be deleted from the Estimates.

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17.3.

Chamber of Commerce, OP the subject of quarters for the Govern ment servants, I am not quite clear as to what he referred to when he said that these quarters were remunerative.

I can shortly state what the policy. of the Government has been during the last three years. The Government have erected in Victoria 22 quarters which are occupied free of rent by certain sub- ordinate officers, and eight small houses in Kowloon which are also occupied by subordinate officers who have to live on that side of the water, and last year it WAS decided-and the proposal approved by the Secretary of State-that quarters should be erected for other officers who draw a low salary, which could be rented by them at a rent which would yield on the capital cost expended on the building about 4 per cent. net. Those quarters have not been built, and it is not proposed to proceed with them next year, but there will be a number of

I quarters six, think-to be occupied free of rent, which will be pro- ceeded with next year, because it is felt that the subordinate officers who occupy them are still in a position of some hard- ship owing to the high rent they have to pay in Hongkong. Other officers are occupying in

cases their houses and in other Cages quarters which are fairly suitable, so there is not the game urgenti necessity to put up quar ters to be rented as there is to proceed Civil

with the quarters which are to be occupied free. There is nothing remunerative, as the hon. member remarked, in these quarters, except that we are assured that our officers, instead of occupying houses entirely unsuitable for Europeans, are occupying quarters in healthy positions, well-built, and sanitary.

nurse

HON. MR. SHELLIM-Sir, under the head * Medical Department," your Excellency has informed us that six pro- bationer dressers are to replace two nurses at the Government Civil Hospital. We hope this is merely a temporary measure due to the war, because we are of opinion that the number of nursing Bisters should not be reduced. I believe that the class of probationer engaged locally has not the aptitude for the work required of them, and that a scheme which might be suitable to other Colonies is not so here. One more point I would like to mention. Some years ago I believe that a substantial sum of money was handed over to the govern ment by the Nursing Home, or Nursing Institute, on the distinct understanding that two nursing Sisters would be pro- vided from the Governmcat Hospital for outside work. I under. stand that only one Sister is now avail- able, and I should like to be assured that further definite steps have been taken by the Government to carry out the under- taking given to provide two_nursing Bisters for the work outside the Hospital,

THE COLONIAL TREASURER-In reply to the hon. member who representa the Chamber of Commerce, I may say that I really have nothing to add to what I said in 1911. The unofficial members have apparently had that reply before them. The Secretary of State in his despatch on the Estimates that year Bug- gested a somewhat fuller explanation. Further enquiry will be made into the

matter.

HON. MA. HEWETT-Then we shall continue to have the same old balance-sheet.

THE COLONIAL SECRETARY—I regard to the remarks of the hop member who represents

the

some

own

HON. MR. HEWETT That is the re- muneration.

-

The hon the Cham-

re-

HIS EXCELLENCY

who member

represents ber of Commerce moved

that the vote for the solution

Well, I am private moorings be deleted. afraid that the Government cannot accept The policy of resuming that resolution. these private moorings is fully set cut in the Council Paper 17 of 1914. The existing arrangements in the Harbour can be described as nothing less than unbusinesslike, and highly inconvenient to all steamers, or owners or agents who are not lessece of moorings. I am in a position to state that the shipping which