66
HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
2. Clause 3 deals with a similar point in section 49 (2) of the Opium Ordinance, 1914 That sub-section provides that any ship of less than 15 tons in which is found any opium in respect of which an offence against the Ordinance has been committed may be forfeited. Here the word "
tons "
is ambiguous and the clause is intended to make it clear that net register tonnage is referred to.
3. Clause 4 corrects an obvious mistake in section 57 of the Opium Ordinance.
1914.
4. In section 2 of the Opium Ordin- ance, 1917, the word "resembling" is not sufficiently exact, as resemblance might not amount to a colourable imitation. Clause 5 amends the section so as to re- strict it to colourable imitations.
AS
5. Section 56 of the Opium Ordinance. 1914, makes it an offence to counterfeit marks used by the Superintendent in connection with Government opium, The section also makes it an offence to use any such counterfeited mark genuine. Section 2 of the Opium Ordin- ance, 1917, makes it an offence to be in possession of labels, wrappers or marks resembling the Government labels, wrap- pers or marks, and clause 3 of the bill is intended to make it clear that this pro- hibition refers to colourable imitations. Clause 6 deals with another kind of fraud in connection with opium labels and wrappers. It makes it an offence to have, without lawful authority or excuse, any Government opium labels or wrappers which have been detached from the Government receptacles. The object of detaching such labels and wrappers is of course to use them again for the
of selling purpose
non-Government opium.
6. Clause 7 throws the onus on the de-. fendant of proving absence of guilty knowledge when once it is proved that be has had in his possession a box or package containing opium.
The Budget
THE ACTING COLONIAL SECRE- TARY moved the first reading of a Bill intituled, “An Ordinance to apply a sum not exceeding ten million, six hundred and five thousand, three hundred and forty-five dollars to the Public Service of the year 1919, for the following pur-
poses:
Governor Colonial Secretary's
Expenditure
79,615
Depart-
ment and Legislature Secretariat for Chinese Affairs. Treasury Audit Department
79.066
57,152
37,262 65,275
200,625
Harbour Master's Departinent, Harbour Master's Department.
Special Expenditure Imports and Exports Depart-
ment, Imports and Exports Depart- Royal Observatory.
ment, Special Expenditure Royal Observatory, Special Ex-
penditure
Miscellaneous Services Judicial and Legal Depart-
ments
Judicial and Legal Depart- ments, Special Expenditure... Police and Prison Depart-
ments
Police and Prison Depart- ments, Special Expenditure... Medical Department Medical
Department Special
Sanitary Department
Expenditure Sanitary Department Botanical and Forestry Depart-
Expenditure
ment
Education
Education. Special Expenditure Military Expenditure:-
Defence Corps Public Works :-
190
929,988
50,000 23,209
800
1,711,107
262,394
1,640
1,022,312
20,567
275,812
1,500
Special
399,146
11,810
53,763 383.458 15.300
82.848
Public Works Department Public Works Department.
465,625
Special Expenditure
1,540
Public Works, Recurrent
702,000
2,610,450
289.772
412,635
67.330
Public Works, Extraordinary
Post Office
Kowloon-Canton Railway
Working Expenses Special Expenditure
Pensions
Charitable Services
ed.
Total
249.000
43,064
$10,605,345
THE COLONIAL TREASURER second-
H.E. THE OFFICER ADMINISTER- ING THE GOVERNMENT-Hon, members of the Legislative Council, the Governor of the Colony at very short notice has had to take leave of absence, and I feel sure that the deepest sympathy is felt both
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
in this Council and among the Community generally for him and for Lady May in their time of anxiety.
The duty, therefore, falls upon me of laying before you the Annual Statement of the financial position of the Colony and the Estimates of Revenue and Expendi- ture for next year.
It was estimated at this time last year that the balance of assets over liabilities on the 31st. December, 1917, would amount to $2,867,945, but the actual balance was $3.268,062. The revenue for 1917, which was expected to amount to 14,257,330. was actually $15,058,104, and the expendi. ture, instead of being $13,690,170, was actually $14,090,828.
It is estimated that the revenue for this year will amount to the unprecedented sum of $17,079,640, or $2,316,050 more than the original estimate.
The expenditure for this year, which was originally estimated at $12,140,475, is now expected to exceed that sum by $3,612,015. This excess is chiefly due 10 large gifts to His Majesty's Government for the purposes of the war, to which I will refer later on.
Estimates of Revenue for 1919
Assessed taxes
is
The estimated revenue for 1919 $16,854,215, being $2,120,625 in excess of the approved estimate for the current year. As compared with the approved estimates for this year the principal in- creases, of which explanations will be found in the footnotes, are as follows:
* 152,940 88,000 20,500 2,000,000 13,000 13,350 7,700 6.850 9.360
Special War Rates Carriage, Chair, etc., licences
Opium Monopoly
Analyses
Rent of buildings
Crown rents Markets
Stone quarries
$2,311,700
Estimates of Expenditure for 1919
112
67
change is the omission of the item | Ex- under the Head change Compensation of Personal Emoluments. As the esti- mates have been framed on the basis of a three shilling dollar, the same value as the compensated dollar for officers paid in dollars, exchange compensation has ceased to exist.
Under the departments of Governor and Colonial Secretary there are small reduc- tions, due principally to higher exchange. In the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs the posts of supernumerary 2nd grade writer and 5th grade shroff have been abolished, and a new post of 3rd grade shroff has been created. In the Audit Department, in place of two 3rd grade clerks, provi- sion has been made for two 4th grade. clerks and four probationers. The work has much increased, and it is considered better to train a junior staff than to in- crease the number of senior clerks. The changes in the clerical staff of the Trea- sury are explained in Appendix III.
In the Harbour Master's Department the new codes for storm warnings have thrown increased work and responsibility on the officer-in-charge at Signal Hill, and it has been decided to promote him to the 3rd grade. The signalman at Green Island has also been promoted to the 4th grade. A Chinese master has been ap- pointed to the Steam Tender Stanley on a salary of $1,680 $1,920 by 360 annually. Inder Steam Launches the vote for repairs has been increased by a sum of $4,500 owing to the enhanced cost of materials and labour.
In the Imports and Exports Depart- ment the changes made in the clerical staff are explained in Appendix III. They are chiefly necessitated by the grow- ing importance of the statistical branch. A sum of $10,000 has been inserted for the staff required for the salt control which it is proposed to inaugurate next year, but the details of which cannot yet be specified. Under** Special Expendi- ture
a sum of $50,000 is provided for a launch for salt control.
The provision of an anemograph for Gap Rock is the only item to which re- ference need be made in the Estimates The expenditure for next year is of the Royal Observatory. At a cost of estimated to amount to $14,677,896, or $800 a self-recording instrument can be $2,375,421 more than the estimated ex- fixed on the roof of the quarters. A con- penditure for the current year. The vari-tinuous record and a particular know- ous increases and decreases in each depart-ledge of the state and direction of the ment and the reasons therefor are fully wind at Gap Rock is of vital importance set out in the Sessional Paper which has to the Observatory during the typhoon been laid on the table. One notable season.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.