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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
We are of opinion that the formation of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve may to a certain extent detrimentally affect the Volunteer Defence Corps, and that that Corps serves a far more useful and practical purpose.
We consider that the Royal Naval Reserve is unnecessary here and that naval work should be left to the Navy; and we shall vote against the item for its establishment in the Appropriation Bill for 1930. This item, apparently through inadvertence, does not include the sum of $2,832, mentioned on page 100 of the Estimates, for the proposed personnel of that Reserve.
The sum now budgeted for is only a beginning, and doubtless a larger annual grant would be required in the not distant future.
Our railway to the border shows a better return than before, but it can hardly be regarded as a successful venture until such time as the Hankow-Canton Railway is completed and the loop-line at Canton is built.
We desire to take this opportunity of assuring your Excellency that all sections of this community most heartily support you in your untiring efforts to maintain the most friendly relations with the Chinese Authorities in the neighbourng provinces of Kwangtung and Kwangsi and also with the Chinese Central Government at Nanking.
We also trust that the rumoured negotiations for connecting Canton with Hongkong by telephone will prove successful, because every link which joins Hong Kong to Canton is of mutual benefit to both places.
It may well be asked how are all these schemes to be financed. We are of opinion that much as we may regret it, we have now arrived at the parting of the ways-we cannot continue to pay for the permanent works out of current revenue- -posterity must contribute to the benefits posterity will receive. We are of opinion that although it may be possible to make economies in many directions, nevertheless current revenue is obviously insufficient and a carefully considered policy of municipal loans must be resorted to.
We notice a paragraph in the Treasurer's Memorandum on Revenue, which states that arrears of premia are due from the Kowloon Tong Estate and the Praya East Marine Lot Holders: and we should be glad to be informed what is the amount of the arrears of premia which is due from each of those bodies respectively.
In connexion with the Praya East Reclamation, we should like to know when the Government proposes to put up lights along Lock- hart Road on that Reclamation, so as to enable motor vehicles to use that road at night as well as by day, between Arsenal Street
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