HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL,
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Court Registry. The Government is fully satisfied as to the need for this appointment.
Reference was made to the Tai Po Bridge. The Government regret the delay in the rebuilding of the damaged bridge, but the fact that this bridge had been damaged on no less than three occasions made it necessary to take exceptional care with the site and the design. The bridge now under construction is the fourth design which was made by the Engineers and, as compared with the earlier designs will result in a considerable saving of Public money, and it is hoped thoroughly satisfactory bridge. The work is being pushed on with the utmost vigour, and it is expected that it will be finished early in November next.
The Honourable Member's views as to the utilization of local and Empire resources in the matter of launches, motor cars and other material are endorsed by the Government and will be borne fully in mind.
Three other matters were referred to by the Honourable Member- Bathing Beaches, The Star Ferry approaches at Kowloon, and the Kowloon Tong Market. These are all matters which the Government views sympathetically; all of them came up for consideration with this year's Budget, and all were reluctantly omitted for want of funds.
It was not to be expected that the Government's proposals would pass without criticism, but I am most grateful to Honourable Members for the very temperate criticism to which they have subjected the Budget proposals for the year 1928. The Budget had perforce to be shorn of all those large and attractive schemes which make boom-time Budgets so pleasant and so popular. We are still moving in difficult times, but, relying on that co-operation which has in the past been given so freely and so spontaneously by our unofficial colleagues, the Government has no fears for the future and fully shares the very justifiable confidence expressed by the spokesmen for the unofficial side of this Council. We are convinced that we can, without an undue increase of the burden of taxation, maintain the efficiency of our Administration, and at the same time make steady and solid if quiet and unspectacular progress.
H.E. THE GOVERNOR-I am deeply grateful to the junior Chinese member for the reference to myself and I thank all members, Official and Unofficial, for the very friendly reception accorded to this Budget and for the careful consideration given to it. The Colonial Secretary has replied so fully on points of detail that there is nothing left for me to add. I now put it to the meeting that the Bill be read a second time.
The motion was carried and the Bill was read a second time. Council went into Committee to consider the Bill clause by clause. Upon Council resuming,
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