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HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
at the front receive their full pay less their military pay. It would have been impossible to allow so many to go had it not been for the excellent service which the members of the Police Reserve con tinue to zender under the able leadership of Deputy Superintendent Jenkin. (Applause.) Under Other Charges increases are shown for clothing and accoutrements due to the higher cost of materials. Coal for barracks and launches is also estimated to cost more. On the other hand, a saving of $12.652 is shown in the cost of passages and bonuses in lieu thereof owing to the re- duction in the European Staff. Under the heads Secret Service and Tran sport reductions of $4,000 and $2,300 have been made respectively. In the Fire Brigade under Other Charges." coal and oil fuel are expected to cost $1,890 more than this year.
4
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In the Prison Department. under Personal Emoluments " temporary Warders, Assistant Warders and Guards have been provided for. These temporary arrangements are necessitated by the absence of four Warders who have gone to the front, and by vacancies in the European Staff, which cannot be filled at
"Other Charges,' present. Under the votes Clothing and shoes for Staff and Clothing for prisoners" have been increased owing to the higher cost of materials, and a new item of 82.000 has been inserted for repairs to plant used for remunerative industries. This work has hitherto been paid for out of the Public Works Department votes.
LL
In the Medical Department. under "Personal Emoluments." the opportunity was taken of the departure of the Assist- ant Medical Officer at Kowloon to abolish the post, and in its place a post of Chinese Medical Officer in the New Territories has been created. This Officer will reside at Taipo. and in addition to his ordinary Medical work will advise regarding sanitation matters in villages, and supervise the Government midwives at Taipo and Un Long. It will be ob- served that the salaries of the Nursing Sisters have been transferred from the heading Hospitals and Asylums and placed under Staff. In the Civil
"
W
Hospital provision has been made for eight temporary staff nurses. These in- clude the Japanese nurses, who have taken over the entire charge of "B" Block. That experiment has been successful that it is proposed to employ others in the Asiatic Wards in "A" Block.
SO
Under Other Charges," a sum of $730 has been provided for board for a house physician and house surgeon. The amounts provided for fuel and light. medicines, and surgical appliances, bed ding and clothing, and provisions, have all been raised to meet the increase in prices. A reduction of $1.800 has been made in the vote " Support of lunatics abroad." The arrangement made in 1912. under which the Government of Hongkong made an anual grant of $3,600 to the John G. Kerr Asylum for the Insane at Canton, was not intended to be permanent, and it came to an end on the 30th June. 1916. The practice former- ly in force in sending Chinese lunatics. who are not British subjects. to Chinese Authorities at Canton was verted to from the 1st July, 1915.
the
re-
The Office of Health Officer of the Port has been removed from under Staff." and entered separately on page 68.
This arrangement enables the cost of the sub- department to be seen at Under "Other Charges
a glance. certain votes have been raised to meet the increased cost of coal and stores.
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In the Sanitary Department, under "Personal Emoluments," the post of 1st Grade Clerk has been abolished and a new post of 3rd Grade Clerk created. On the retirement of the Medical Officer of Health, the Assistant Medical Officer of Health was promoted to the post, and an officer on a sterling salary will per- form the duties of Assistant Medical Officer of Health in 1917, drawing half the sterling salary of the post.
Under Other Charges " it has been necessary to raise the amounts provided for coal, repairs, and disinfectants to meet the increased prices. Considerable savings have been made in the cost of lighting the various buildings in the charge of the Department, owing to the lower contract price for the supply of current. Under Special Expenditure "*
"
a sum of $35,000 has been provided for a motor refuse lighter, the need for which is explained in Appendix III.
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In the Botanical and Forestry Depart- ment small sums have been provided under Special Expenditure " for clearing brushwood at Mount Kellet, and for lay- ing out the grounds of the Ellis Kadoorie School for Indians. The increase of nearly $3,000 in the cost of this depart- ment is very small when the valuable work performed by it in all parts of the Colony is considered. I wish to draw special attention to the efficiency with
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HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
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which Mr. Tutcher and his assistants | order. A sum of $100.000 has been en- carry out their duties.
tered for the extension of the Central Police Station, and $35,000 for the ex- tension of the Harbour Office Building to provide an office for the Superinten- dent of Imports and Exports, and quar- ters for Revenue Officers. A sum of $60,000 has been provided for the first block of quarters on Leighton Hill, to be rented to European married subordinate officers with salaries of less than £450 per annum. The rents charged will yield about four per centum On the capital cost after paying the cost of main- tenance. It is also proposed to erect two more quarters for subordinate officers entitled to free quarters on Mount Parish at a cost of $15,000
In the Department of Education, under the head Queen's College," it will be noticed that the appointment of a Tran- slation Master has been abolished. This post has been filled for several years in a most efficient manner by the Reverend H. R. Wells, of the London Mission, who never spared himself in giving all the time at his disposal to the work and it is a matter for deep regret that the de- mands on his time have necessitated his resignation. Arrangements have been made for the performance of the duties by the appointment of a senior Verna- cular Master. The posts of four visiting Vernacular Teachers have been abolished, In the Belilios Public School provision has been made for a third Assistant Mistress, and the posts of the Vernacular Masters have been abolished,
Under Item 8-Roads--a sum of $37.500 has been provided for widening and grading the road from Deep Water Bay to Repulse Bay, and $15,000 for making Under Military Expenditure, the con- a necessary new road from the dam at tribution to the Imperial Government is Tytam Tuk, over which the road from estimated to amount to $2,701.760. De Stanley to Shaukiwan must pass, on the tails will be found in Appendix II. The completion of the dam. to Tytain Gap. cost of the Cadet Company has been A small but useful work will be the merged in the Volunteer-Other Charges, rounding off of the corner at the bottom
In the Public Works Department, under of Garden Road at a cost of $1.800. the head Personal Emoluments," the 1st At Aberdeen it is hoped to make an Grade Executive Engineers have been improvement in the road past the Docks, increased from three to four on the pro- and a new road past the village at a motion of the head of the Building cost of $27.000. Owing to the increase in Ordinance Office to that rank, while the motor traffic the narrow road through the 2nd Grade Executive Engineers have been village is dangerous to pedestrians. reduced by one. The 1st Grade Assist | Item 9. $10,500, is for an underground ant Engineers on the permanent staff cable from the General Post Office to No. have been increased from three to four, 2 Police Station on which route the num- and 2nd Grade Assistant Engineers have ber of wires has become excessive for been reduced from four to three. A poles. Item 16, $1.500. is for a useful Junior Assistant Land Surveyor has been apparatus invented by Captain Tyler. appointed on a salary of $1.440. An Coast Inspector to the Chinese Govern- explanation of this post will be found in ment, which has been successfully instal- Appendix III.
led at Shanghai, whereby the moisture in the air in summer is reduced and the general temperature lowered. The excep tional sum of $160,000 has been entered for Compensation and Resumptions, as some large resumptions are necessary.
,,
Tnder Other Charges Я sum of $6,500 has been entered for the upkeep of the dredger St. Enoch. This item has hitherto appeared under "Public Works Recurrent,' a sum of $4,000 having been provided this year. Under "Public Works Recurrent," the only item to which reference need be made is the sum of $7,500 for writing off the value of the dredger. It is proposed to provide this sum annually until the value has been written down to $75,000.
I am glad to say that owing to the improvement in the state of our finances, it is again possible to spend a larger sum on Public Works, and a total of $1,545.400 has been provided for this purpose. I will take the more important items in
Under Waterworks, a sum of $520,000 is entered to complete the reservior at Tytam and the Service Reservior at West Point.
"Miscellaneous,"
At Kowloon it is proposed to erect more Free quarters for subordinate officers, at a cost of $35.000, and to build a market at Shamshuipo for $18,000.
Under
sum of $11.000 has been provided for the resump- tion of ferry piers. This is in connection with a scheme for improving the ferry services between Victoria and Yaumati
a
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