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HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
and Shamshuipo, 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.
ןןניF
In the New Territories, under the head
45 (b), a ing Roads," item
of $195,000 has been entered for a road feet wide from Shamshuipo to Tsun Wau. 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 (e). $15,000, for widen ing to 20 feet the road from San Tin to Au Tau. Under (d). 26.000, for widening 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.
**Other In the Post Office, under 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
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. capital account having been closed, all expenditure on the railway is Bow in cluded in working expenses under the following heads: 1. General Charges; 8, 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 in other departments of the Government. Under Head No. 2. Other Charges" the um 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
++
as
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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 1 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 hithert been included under the General te Wages" under "Other Charges, now set out in detail under Personal Emoluments." It will be seen that the Wages." and the total of former itent 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 than the sum actually required to pay
"for a sum of about $5,000 les
the meu, the balance being received hy 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 13 against $13.000 this year. Under Head No. 4 Other Charges An increase sum is provided for the maintenance of Telegraphs and Telephones. Under Head 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.
33
Under Special Expenditure are twy large items for works, which would hav been formerly included in the constru tion account. It is possible that the pa ment for land may be completed ti year, but as this is doubtful it has been considered desirable to make provision not year. The erection of the platform awnings has been delayed by the difficul experienced in getting suitable material from England.
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
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to
It
very
Under the head "Charge of account of In the common effort towards that end Public Debt considerable reductions are this Colony has taken no ignoble part. shown for interest and Sinking Fund Referring to the financial side alone, the charges in connection with the existing annual expenditure for the defence of the debt owing to the higher rate of exchange, Colony, and in connection with the War, while no provision is necessary for in will this year probably amount terest on advances by the Crown Agents 88,716,372, and is estimated for next year and the overdraft at the Bank, which at $3,017,707. She is about to present have happily ceased to exist. The neces- the Imperial Government with a gift of rary provision has been made for the $3,000,000, and she may increase that ervice of the new loan of $3,000,000, gift if adequate and satisfactory ways
The amount required for Civil Pen- and means of finance can be found. sions is lower than for the current year may also suffice some who are ever ready by $10,000. I am sure that honourable to criticise without first taking the pre- members will regret the disappearance of caution of ascertaining facts, the pension hitherto paid by this Colony common failing in this Colony, to learn to the late Sir Cecil Clementi Smith.
that her contributions to Imperial War It is a matter of which I am sure the Funds and to War Charities are at pre- Civil Service of this Colony has been
sent as follows:- 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.
For the first time for some years it is not necessary for the Governor to balance the budget by drawing upou 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 $1,840,488, 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 wisely as opportunity may offer, for no man can tell what sacrifices the Empire may not have to make before the goal of complete victory, which in common with her valiant Allies she steadfastly keeps before her eyes, is finally reached.
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,
£21,500 War Charities, administered by The British Red Cross Society
the local committees,
15,000
"Our Day subscription 1910. 1,300 with, hope, a large addition this week. Sir Robert Ho Tung to the Red
Cross Society
£1,920 And also two aeroplanes Tai Yau Bank-one aeroplane Community of Hongkong-two
zeroplanes
The Belgian Relief Funds about 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
The Tobacco Funds, about.
Total
3.000
1,500
3,000
400
100
463
480
and
1,000
1,600
£61.243
Supplemented by a gift of tobacco from the men of U.S.S." Wilmington.
I do not suggest that the Colony has done enough. In this small but import- ant outpost of the Empire, we have been less affected by the War than other parts of the Empire, and it is, therefore, a clear duty to make real sacrifices in aid of the enormous work going on for the
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