65
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
and Shanshuipo, which was postponed on account of the war. The need for such a scheme is urgent and as funds now per mit it is proposed to go on with it.
Under Waterworks." item 43, a sum of $27.000 has been provided to begin the work of laying an additional main from the filter beds to Yaumati.
+4
In the New Territories, under the head- ing Roads, item 45 (b), a Pum of $125,000 has been entered for a road 20 feet wide from Shamshuipo to Tsun Wan. It is proposed that this road shall be con- tinued to Castle Peak to join the exist ing road, which is to be widened, thereby completing the circuit from Kowloon via Fanling. Under (c), 815.000, for widen ing to 20 feet the road from San Tin to Au Tau. Under (d), $6.000, for widering another portion of the road to Castle Peak. Under (e), $20,000, for widening and improving the bends on the most dangerous part of the road to Taipo. I think the programme of Public Works should keep the department well occupied during the year.
In the Post Office, under Other Charges," the higher exchange is estimat- ed to result in a saving of $10,607 in the share of Mail Subsidy, and transit charges are estimated at $25.000 less than this year.
A sum of $3,500 is entered for coal for the launch. which is $1.500 more than this year, while the higher cost of materials is responsible to some extent for an estimated increase in the votes for mail bags and uniforms.
The form of the Estimates of Expendi- ture of the Kowloon-Canton Railway has been entirely recast. The estimates for the current year fall under two main heads:-A-Working Expenses, B-Ex penses of Construction, the latter being expenditure on capital account. The capital account having been closed, all expenditure on the railway is now in- cluded in working expenses under the following heads :—1. General Charges; 2, Maintenance of Way, Works and Stations 3, Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon Expenses: 4. Traffic Expenses; 5. Miscellaneous Expenses; 6, Fanling branch line; 7. Special Expenditure.
Under the first six of these heads the expenditure is divided into "Personal Emoluments and Other Charges " as in other departments of the Government. Under Head No. 2, "Other Charges the sum required for bridges and tunnels has been raised from $1,300 to $3.000 to meet the increased price of materials and to provide for the biennial painting and
--
renovation, and for the same reason the votes for repairs of Staff-quarters and repairs of Station buildings have been increased. Under Head No. 3 · Per- sonal Emoluments," provision has been made for eight locomotive cleaners at a cost of $1.620, instead of the work being performed by contract as hitherto at a somewhat higher cost. The staff of the Railway Workshops, which has hitherto been included under the General term Wages under Other Charges," is Personal now set out in detail under Emoluments." It will be seen that the
Wages. former item"
and the total of the detailed salaries do not correspond, the latter being several thousand dollars higher than the former. The explana- tion of this discrepancy is three-fold. Firstly, repairs next year are expected to be somewhat heavier than this year, and the wages bill is increased, though to no great extent, in anticipation. Secondly, it has been the custom to estimate under "Wages
for a sum of about $5,000 less than the sum actually required to pay the men, the balance being received by transfer from the votes of other branches
of the department for which work was done. In the estimates before you the actual cost of the Workshops' staff is shown, and the votes in other departments have been reduced by approximately $5.000. Thirdly, it has hitherto been the practice to include painting of rolling stock under " Wages. Painting is now separately provided for, as is explained in footnote (22) on page 111. Under
}}
Other Charges" coal is estimated to cost $29,000, and Materials for Repairs and Renewals of Locomotives, $5.400, more than the estimate for this year. Running stores are entered at $17,500 as against $13.000 this year. Under Head No. 4 Other Charges an increased Telegraphs and Telephones. Under Head sum is provided for the maintenance of No. 6 the expenditure on the Fanling branch has been cut down, and it is hoped that this small line, which is now run as a tramway, may pay its way.
Under Special Expenditure are two large items for works, which would have been formerly included in the construc- tion account. It is possible that the pay- ment for land may be completed this year, but as this is doubtful it has been considered desirable to make provision next year. The erection of the platform awnings has been delayed by the difficulty experienced in getting suitable material from England.
22
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
Under the head Charge of account of Public Debt considerable reductions are shown for interest and Sinking Fund charges in connection with the existing debt owing to the higher rate of exchange, while no provision is necessary for terest on advances by the Crown Agents and the overdraft at the Bank, which have happily ceased to exist. The neces- sary provision has been made for the service of the new loan of $3,000,000,
in-
The amount required for Civil Pen- sions is lower than for the current year by $19,000. I am sure that honourable members will regret the disappearance of the pension hitherto paid by this Colony
to the late Sir Cecil Clementi Smith. It is a matter of which I am sure the Civil Service of this Colony has been proud that one of the first batch of Cadet Officers should have had such a distin- guished career. Though he left this Colony as long ago as 1878 to become Colonial Secretary and subsequently Governor of the Straits Settlements, we had the pleasure of welcoming him here again a few years ago, when on his way to Shanghai as the principal represen- tative of Great Britain at the Conference on Opium.
6609
to
In the common effort towards that end this Colony has taken no ignoble part. Referring to the financial side alone, the annual expenditure for the defence of the Colony, and in connection with the War, will this
year probably amount $2,716,372, and is estimated for next year at $3,017,707. She is about to present the Imperial Government with a gift of $3,000,000, and she may increase that gift if adequate and satisfactory ways and means of finance can be found. It may also suffice some who are ever ready to criticise without first taking the pre- very caution of ascertaining facts, a common failing in this Colony, to learn that her contributions to Imperial War Funds and to War Charities are at pre- sent as follows:
British War Loans: £2,603.000, includ
ing £90.000 in British War Expen- diture Certificates. £73,000 in six per cent. Exchequer Bonds, and £20,000 in War Savings Certificates,
Charitable and other contributions to the war:
Prince of Wales Fund, War Charities, administered by The British Red Cross Society
the local committees,
of
..£31,500
15,000
3.000
1.500
3,000
400
JT Our Day subscription 1916. 1,330 with, I hope, a large addition this week. Sir Robert Ho Tung to the Red
£1,920 Cross Society And also two aeroplanes Tai Yau Bank-one aeroplane Community Hongkong--two The Belgian Relief Funds about
aeroplanes
The Belgian Red Cross Fund Motor Ambulance presented by
Mr. Lau Chu-pak and others Motor Ambulance presented by the
ladies of Hongkong The Navy League-Star
Garter Fund
100
463
For the first time for some years it is not necessary for the Governor to balance the budget by drawing upon surplus balances in order to meet an estimated deficit. There is an estimated surplus of Revenue over Expenditure of $845.845 which, added to the estimated balance at the end of this year of $1,003,645, makes a total of $1,849,488. This will be a cash balance, but I would anticipate any sug gestion that the possession of such a balance indicates that more revenue has been raised than is required for the needs of the Colony, by remarking that we must not lose sight of the fact that the high price of silver, high exchange, extraor- dinary influx of population, and large economies in public works and in other directions have all contributed to swell our net receipts during the year, while much of our revenue is derived from sources susceptible of violent fluctuations. It behoves us, also, to bear in mind that the war shows no signs of taking an end. It is therefore our obvious duty to hus- band our resources and to increase them
I do not suggest that the Colony has wisely as opportunity may offer, for no done enough, In this small but import- man can tell what sacrifices the Empire ant outpost of the Empire, we have been may not have to make before the goal less affected by the War than other parts of complete victory, which in common of the Empire, and it is, therefore, a with her valiant Allies she steadfastly clear duty to make real sacrifices in aid keeps before her eyes, is finally reached.of the enormous work going on for the
The Tobacco Funds, about.
Total
450
and
1.000
1,600
£61.263
Supplemented by a gift of tobacco from the men of U.S.S. Wilmington.
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