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who do not object to a hotel as a perman- ent residence, The site is the best we could have in connection with the ship ping and it is proposed to proceed with this part of the plan. As regards the fats it is probable that that part of the scheme will be dropped, and in place of it sums will be loaned by the Govern- ment at a fairly low rate of interest to Companies and others who are prepared to erect dwelling houses of a good type and subject to such conditions as will obviate the possibility of exorbitant rents being charged. That policy to some extent has been approved by the Secretary of State and it is proposed to proceed with it at once. The question of the pro- vision of sites for better class houses in Victoria is certainly met by the proposed construction of a tram to Wanchai Gap The number of sites in the best part of the Hill district undeveloped is consider able and I have great hopes myself of seeing, in a comparatively short me, a large number of houses on the slopes of Mount Cameron which would have been there many years ago if there had been any means of getting there. The Government will continue to do its utmost to provide further sites for building and in connection with the advance of money such provision is essential.
H.E. THE GOVERNOR--Honourable gen tlemen, I think the points of detail raised by the various hon, members have been fairly fully dealt with. There are one or two points, however, on which I may say a few words. The senior Chinese member referred to the question of the protection in China of Hongkong Registered Companies. That is a matter which I would rather not discuss round this table. It is a side issue on the estimates and the hon. member will agree with me that it is a matter of consider able international importance and per haps the less said about it the better. Another matter of international bearing was that relating to revenue from opium. The considerable reduction has already been referred to by my friend the Colonial Secretary I do not know whether hon. membere have read the somewhat voluminous document known as the Peace Treaty and the Covenant of the League of Nations, but if they have they will find somewhere in the early paragraphs & reference to the opium traffic which appears to imply that one of the results of the establishment of a League of Nations will be a determined effort to
suppress the opium trade. and one may imagine that with the new power behind it this effort will be more effective than the efforts of the past. We must, therefor. reconcile ourselves to doing without the revenue from opium. It is possible that the revenue will go to other pockets bug that is a matter which we must leave the League of Nations to consider for itself. My point is that the reduction which occurs this year must be regarden foreshadowing an even greater reduction in future years,
Referring to prison industries, I spent some happy hours going over the prison a short time ago and the first thing that struck me was the large amount of en- tirely useless labour being done. The difficulty, of course, is that there is no sufficient room in the prison, as situated at present, to develop prison industries. There is only one way to deal with the situation and that is the prison must be shifted out of Victoria. It will be costly business, but it is clearly impossibl to increase the accommodation on the present site and the population of the prison, unfortunately, shows no sign of diminishing. When adopting that course I trust we shall be able to make arrange- ments for a large extension of prison industries so that a man's term of in- prizonmeat may not be entirely wasted but will assist him to earn an honest Fivelihood when he comes out if he wishes to do so. With regard to the Kowloon Railway and its linking up with the Hankow line, I think everyone insid the Government, or out of it, fully sees the importance of this connection, and we have lost no opportunity of pressing the matter; but as the hon. member is aware the state of affairs in China, and in Kwangtung in particular, has not been such as to make it extremely easy to get anything done in the near future. shall do all we can to get this extension have not lost sight of the matter and we made,
We
The hon. member went on to speak of a trivial point, which mostly concerns myself, of the payment of rent for furni ture in Government House.
I must say
do not agree with the hon. member in his views. I do not object to having to pay that rent and there is certainly an advantage from the point of view of the Colony that the Governor does pay rent If I were not required to do so I should probably be much more extravagant than I am in the provision of furniture, especially if I could be provided with
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The same remark | Committee. I am somewhat surprised at everything I desired. applies to much the same extent to other the manner in which the Council ap- furniture in Government bungalows. The proaches the estimates in this Colony. Rount at present is small but it might The estimates for which I have been per- larger in the future. If the members sonally responsible for the last seven If the service shared my views they would
years were always examined with great see that heavy necessary furniture should
care almost item by item, by the Finance be provided in Government quarters. It Committee of the Council which consisted
a difference of is a matter on which
of myself and two other officials and the opinion exists especially in the case of
whole of the unofficial members of the married officers whose wives take great Council. This body examined the esti objection to certain types of furniture
mates sonetimes before the first reading provided. I may say at once I am not
and sometimes, and more usually, after referring to this Colony. The hon. mem-
the second reading and then they were her who spoke next referred to the im
referred to a selected committee for com portant question of salaries. That matter
sideration. This is the course I expect is not before the Council and I do not propose to deal with it in detail excepted to find followed. If it is the wish of to say that I rather imagine a certain hon, members that it should be followed delay is due to the fact that I felt it in this Colony, it is in accordance with necessary to go Home on leave before my desire. I warn hon. members that it taking up my present appointment, and entails a considerable amount of work. the Secretary of State. for reasons of his For instance the last estimates I dealt own, thought it advisable to keep the with in 1917 entailed a sitting through- recommendations of the Commission until out the whole of the August race week I had had an opportunity of becoming which made me the most unpopular man Acquainted with them. The hon. member in Ceylon. It meant six or seven hours' spoke as if this mean sort of swindle of solid work for five days. Ion. members duty pay was particular to this Colony would be well advised to consider care- and expressed a desire to know the name fully before committing themselves to of the gentleman who originally intro- such a course. They should consider .duced it.
among themselves and if they conclude that this course should he followed, they might commission one of their number That will be to communicate with mr.
I hope to fall in with the best plan. their wishes. to the extent practicable.
Hox. MR. SHEWAN-No.
HIS EXCELLENCY -Oh, well1 misunder- stood the bon member. Duty pay has been in existence for many years in other Colonies. I rather think if anyone was responsible for its adoption when origin all introduced somewhere. I believe in West Africa, it was Mr. Joseph Cham- erlain, and I do not think it will be urged that he was open to the criticisms of the hon. member. Who suggested the application of it to this Colony I know but will reserve my information. It is to my mind not entirely unworthy to say that a man should receive more money when doing his work than when he is not, I think these are all the de- tails which strike me at the moment. There is one point of procedure to which I should like to refer. Several hon. members have pressed that the estimates should be referred to the Public Works
The Bill was then read a second time.
Council went into committer to con- sider the Bill clause by clause.
The Bill passed through committee without amendment and, on Council re- suming,
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY moved third reading of the Bill.
THE COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and the Bill was read a third time and passed.
The Council then adjourned.
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