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HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
From the Colonial Secretary, Hong-| kong, to the Colonial Secretary, Singa-
pore:
29th July, 1916. SIRI am directed
to request that you will be good enough to inform me what is the number of Sisters which the Government of the Straits Settlements has been able to engage (a) through the Colonial Nursing Association Or (6)
otherwise for service in Government Hospitals in the Straits Settlements since the outbreak of war, and the date upon which each of the Sisters, if any, was engaged.—I am, etc.,
(Signed) CLAUD SEVERN,
Colonial Secretary. From the Colonial Secretary, Hong- kong, to the Under Secretary, Federated Malay States:—
29th July, 1916.
(e.)-Tobacco, cigars and cigarettes valued at less than $1.10 per lb. and not less than 60 cents per lb.- $0.20 per lb.
(f.)-Tobacco, cigars and cigarettes of any other kind not herein otherwise provided for-$0.10 per lb."
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL second- ed.
HIS EXCELLENCY--As was not 111- natural in a free port, when we came to deal with the taxing of an article like tobacco we were working, more or less, in the dark. Therefore, it is not surprising and I think hon. members will agree it is not surprising--that we should have had to modify the rates of duty. The
reasons for the modification are that we laid, inadvertently, too heavy a hand on the cheapest form of cigarettes, and SIR, I am directed to request that you
these new duties are designed, and have indeed. I believe, given satisfaction to will be good enough to inform me what
these interested in the matter, in re- is the number of Sisters which the Gov-moving that rather severe penalty on the ernment of the Federated Malay States smoke of the Chinese coolie. I now beg has been able to engage (a) through the to move that the resolution which has Colonial Nursing Asociation or (6) otherwise for service in Government Hospitals in the Federated Malay States since the outbreak of war, and the date upon which each of the Sisters, if any, was engaged.—I am, etc.,
(Signed) (LAUD SEVERN,
Colonial Secretary.
New Tobacco Duties
pro-
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY posed the following resolution under Section 7 of the Tobacco Ordinance, 1916: --** Resolved that the duties im- posed on tobacco under Section 6 of the Tobacco Ordinance, 1916, shall cease to be payable as from the 28th day of July, 1916. and that the following duties shall be substituted therefor:--
(a.)-Cigars valued at
not less than
$2.20 per lb. and snuff of whatever value-$1.50 per lb.
(b.)-Cigars valued at less than $2.20 per lb. and not less than $1.60 per ib.-$0.70 per lb.
(c.)-Tobacco and cigarettes valued at not less than $1.60 per lb.-$0.70 per lb.
(d.)--Tobacco,
cigars and cigarettes valued at less than $1.60 per lb. and not less than $1.10 per lb.- $0.30 per lb.
i
been proposed and seconded be adopted.
The resolution was then put to the meeting and unanimously carried.
Governor's Reply to Hon. Mr. Pollock's Questions
The following questions were put by the Hon. Mr. Pollock and answered by H.E. the Governor.
Q-1. Is the Principal Civil Medical Officer responsible for
(1) The accuracy of the statements of fact which are contained in the Answers to my Questions in Council concerning Government Hospital matters, and also for
(ii) Recommending to the Government the number of Sisters which is necessary for the efficient working of the Government Hospitals, with- out imposing undue strain or work on the Sisters, and also for (iii) Informing the Government in good time beforehand that Sisters will be completing their 4 years of Ser- vice in the Colony, so that steps may be taken, in plenty of time in advance, to insure that, so far as possible, Sisters shall be able to take long leave on the expiration of their 4 years of Service in the Colony?
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HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
A.-1. (i) (ii). The Government takes the responsibility for the accuracy of statements of fact; it also takes the responsibility for providing a sufficient staff for the efficient working Government Hospitals.
of the
1. (iii). The Government is respon sible for the making of the necessary ar- rangements to enable Sisters to take long leave. Sisters, in common with all other Officers in the Service, are required to give nine months' notice of their inten- tion to apply for long leave, in order,' to quote the regulation, that suitable arrangements for the Public Service as a whole may be devised."
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Q.-2. Did the Principal Civil Medical Officer know, when the Estimates for the Government Staff at the Hospitals for 1916 were prepared :-
(1) That Sisters Craddock. Bone and Astin had recently resigned from the Service, and had not been re- placed and
(2) That Sisters Everingham and Wood would shortly be completing their 3 years' term of Service with the Government; and
(3) That Sister Millington would be retiring from the Service in 1916, and that the following Sisters would, during the course of 1916, complete their 4 years of Service in the Colony, namely, Sisters Gorham, Barlow, Barrow, Kelsey, and Sloan?
If the Principal Civil Medical Officer knew the above facts, did he communicate them or some and if so which of them to the Government!
A.-2. (i). The resignations of Sisters Craddock, Bone, and Astin were received by the Principal Civil Medical Officer in May, 1915, and were immediately report- ed by him to the Government.
(ii). The question of filling the vacancies, which would occur on the retirement of Sisters Ever- ingham and Wood after their probationary period, was refer red by the Principal Civil Medi- cal Officer to the Government in June, 1915.
(iii) (a). At the date when the Esti- mates for 1916 were prepared there were grounds for anticipat ing that Sister Millington would remain in the Service until the end of the war. Miss Milling
(b).
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ton decided in October that she would retire in April or May, 1916, and the Principal Civil Medical Officer reported to this effect forthwith, asking that im- mediate steps might be taken to fill the prospective vacancy.
The Principal Civil Medical Officer reported on the 11th, August, 1915, that Sisters Gor- ham and Barlow wished to take long leave early in 1916. He at the same time stated that three other Sisters would complete a period of four years' service in 1916. In the summer of 1915 Dr. Johnson put very fully and clear- ly before the Government the necessity for making provision for the filling of vacancies and the grant of long leave. Q.-3. Is the Principal Civil Medical Officer responsible for the fact that the Notes appended to the Estimates for 1916 fail to disclose the fact that, in addition to the reduction of 2 Sisters in the Staff, to be replaced by 6 Probationer Dressers (which is noted in footnote (6) on page 61 of those Estimates) there is also a reduction of a third Sister, as compared with the Estimates for 1915, such reduction occurring under the following sub-heading of the Estimates, namely, Kennedy Town Hospital "?
Did the Principal Civil Medical Officer point out to the Government, and, if so, when, that the Estimates for 1916 pro- vided for a reduction of 3 Sisters in the Government Nursing Staff, as compared with the Estimates for 1915?
A.-3. The honourable member is appar¬ ently under a misapprehension. In the Estimates provision was made under Kennedy Town Hospital" for two Sisters, one on a dollar and one on a
The 1915 sterling salary.
and 1916 Estimates provide for two Sisters, both on a sterling salary: but the 1915 Esti- mates show also, under the 1914 column, the dollar salary which lapsed at the end of 1914.
Q.-4. Did the Principal Civil Medical Officer recommend to the Government that, for the year 1916, 6 Probationer Dressers should be employed at the Government Civil Hospital instead of 2 Sisters? If the question is in the negative, what Gov
to the above
ernment Officer is responsible for the making of such suggestion?
answer
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.