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HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
ernment and the Community owe a debt of gratitude to the members of this force, which may remind you is composed of British subjcets of British, Indian, Portuguese and Chinese races. The Force at the present time numbers 415.
Under Other Charges il. sum of $1,500 has been provided for ammunition for the Special Police Reserve. The sub- head Clothing and Accoutrements shows in increase of $5,000, which is due to the higher cost of material. A sum of $3,000 has been entered to cover the cus of clothing and accoutrements for recruits of the Special Police Reserve, and renewal of uniforms. The amount required for the equalisation of exchange on Indian Police remittances has bern increased by $6,000, a larger sum being required owing to the fall in exchange and to correct a previous under-estimate. The role for Passages, and bonuses in lieu of passages
shows an increase of $8,650. This increase is due to the fact tha more members of the European con- tingent are expected to take leave in the future owing to a new scheme by which members of the contingent on nine months' leave will draw full pay during six months of the leave, and also to the grant of free passages to the wives and families of Indian Police, and to men of the Indian contingent retiring on pensions The honourable member who represents the Chamber of Commerce, in October last, drew attention in Finance Commit- tee to the comparatively large number of
in the
European emtingents who drew
bonus а
instead going on leave. The improvement in the pay while on leave is expected, as I have already stated, to remedy this in some degree.
meu
Prison
1
qualifying examinations, and it is to be hoped that the scheme will meet with the same success here that has been achieved elsew here.
Vader Other Charges the vote Provisions for Patients has been increased by $1.000, due to the higher cost of food.
Under the head Institutes, Personal Emoluments, a sum of $2,160 h.., been inserted as the allowance to the officer acting as Bacteriologist. The sum of $810 provided this year will lapse as the Bacteriologis has not taken leav. but as he proposes to take commuted stead of half-pay leave next year it has been necessary to provide a larger sum.
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A new sub-head has been inserted under Special Expenditure for Dental Instruments and Furniture," for which the equivalent of £150 has been provided. Certain dental surgeons have generously offered their services at the Government Civil Hospital free of cost, and the above sum will provide the necessary equipment.
Sanitary Department
taken over by the Sanitary Department, The scavenging of Shaukiwan has been and it is anticipated that the work will cost a sum of $3,314, while it is estimated that a sum of $4,000 will be received for the conservancy of the same neigh- bourhood. Under amount provided for
Special Expenditure " the the removal of ceilings has been reduced from $10,000 $4,000. This sum is considered
of
to
The staff of European Warders has been reduced by three, thereby effecting an immediate saving of $3.290. This reduc- tion has permitted of the re-organization of the Indian staff, involving an increas of $3,630.
Medical Department
It has been found possible to replace two Nursing Sisters at the Government Civil Hospital by six Probationer Dressers. Not only is a small saving effected by this change, but the system of employing Dressers, which is in force in other Colonies, is now for the first time introduced here. Dressers will only obtain promotion on passing certain
L
suficient as the work has proved less expensive than was anticipated.
Education
25
a sum
Under Personal Emoluments of $1,000 has been provided for a short- hand teacher at Queen's College, to meet the increasing demand for shorthand. It tuition will cover his salary. is expected that the fees received for
Owing to the poor attendance the Eng- lish School for Indians at Kowloon will be closed at the end of this year.
Under Other Charges the sum provided for Capitation Grants has been increased by $5,833 owing to the increase in the numbers at the English Schools.
Under
17
a sum
Special Expenditure' of $1,250 has been entered as half the Building Gram of $2.500 to St. Joseph's College towards the cost of additional class rooms.
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
Military Expenditure
The amount provided for the Con-ribu tion to the Imperial Government is $205,630 less than that provided this year. This decrease is mainly due to the fact that the estimated arrears on account of the Contribution for 1915 are $79,600, as against arrears of $298,154 in respect of the contribution for 1914. In place of the Staff Officer of the
| Volunteers, whose post is temporarily vacant, provision has been made for! allowances to an Inspecting Officer and two Adjutants. Under "Other Charges the Capitation Grant of the Volunteer Reserve has been increased from $1,050 to $15,750, that is to say, from the small grant earned before the Reserve was embodied, on the outbreak of war, u the Volunteer Corps and a grant equivalent to that which the Volunteer Corps can
earn.
It is with peculiar satisfaction that I have to record the extremely satisfactory condition of the Volunteer Force both in
an
numerical strength and in efficiency. The Force has rendered, and is still rendering, very valuable service, and can justly claim important, although indirect share, in the tremendous battle the Empire is fighting in different parts of the world, for which so large a pro- portion of the regular garrison has been released. I can repeat that to this body. as to the Special Police Reserve, the Government and the Community owe a very deep debt of gratitude,
Public Works Department
Under "Personal Emoluments the post of
Assist- Grade 1st one:
will
be ant Engineer
not
filled at present, and
no provision has, therefore, been made for it. Owing to existing conditions the programme of public works has been considerably reduced, and it is desirable to take advant age of an opportunity which has arisen to reduce the staff.
Public Works Recurrency
There is an increase of $2,000 in the cost of Gas Lighting (item 10) due to exten- sions of Lighting; of $2,500 for meters (item 23) due to a previous under-estimate; of $1,000 for maintenance of waterworks in Kowloon (item 35) due to increase of
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filtration; of $1,000 for meters in Kowloon (item 36) also due to a previous under- estimate; of $2,500 for maintenance of buildings in the New Territories (item 39) due to a large increase in the contract rate; and of $2,000 for maintenance of roads and bridges in the New Territories (item 41) due to a great length of roads. It has been possible to make reductions in other items with the result that the estimate for next year under this head only $100 more than in this year's Estimates.
Public Works Extraordinary
revenue.
The sum available under this head has to be regulated each year by the amount of money available from the estimated The position with which I was The esti- faced this year was as follows: mated revenue is $11,409,010, while the estimated expenditure exclusive of Public Works Extraordinary is $10,603,374, leav- ing a balance of $805,636 available for Public Works Extraordinary if the Bud- get is to balance. Now the two large works which are under construction, namely, the Tytam Tuk Scheme, second section, and the additional Service Reservoir at West Point, require between them a sum of no less than $900,000. and it will be clear, therefore, to honourable members that only by the most ruthless elimination of many desirable, but not indispensable. public works has it been possible to reduce the estimated deficit to a comparative't moderate sum.
With regard to Hongkong under the heading "Buildings," the sums prov ied for items 1, 2 and 3 are required to pay the retention money on works already com- pleted.
A sum
ԵՐԵ
Under item 4 a sum of $46,000 is 10- vided for the erection of quarters for S ordinate Officers, Happy Valley.
of the current year for this purpose, of $50,000 was entered in the estimates the work has not been proceeded with up to date. It is, in my opinion, very desir able that these quarters should be erected as soon as possible, and tenders for the work have now been called for.
A sum of $30,000 has been entered under item 5, as it is possible that a start may be made with the extension of the Central for the Negotiations Police Station. resumption of the buildings on the site
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