HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
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No one, Sir, has challenged the accuracy or fairness of this statement; and since then the water situation has become worse-at least it became worse for a few months. The Government has on more than one occasion during the last two months expressed admiration and appreciation of the fortitude and patience shown by the Chinese community, and it is with pride that we share this sentiment. But patient though the people had been, I shudder to think what the consequence would have been, had not the rain come in such a timely way-just when the situation had become so bad, and the people's patience was on the verge of exhaustion. That rain was providential. Had the drought continued a few more months the Colony's surplus balance which is so much needed for constructive and productive public works, would have been largely consumed by the emergency measures.
Sir, we cannot afford a recurrence of that most distressing con- dition. It must be prevented with all the means and energy at the command of the Government. All the permanent schemes should be decided upon, and then pressed on, with the greatest possible speed, without a single day's available delay. Any such delay would have an unfortunate reaction on the minds of the people and I know that Your Excellency will not permit it.
Until these schemes are completed, and until an adequate water supply is assured to the Colony, we ask that Your Excellency's policy in regard to wells may be interpreted in a liberal spirit by the departments concerned. The wells opened during the recent crisis have yielded results both material and psychological, which fully justified that policy.
Your Excellency in your masterly review of the Colony's Water- works, mentioned the possibility of abolishing the Rider-main sys- tem. If we do not take up this question to-day, we hope that it will not be thought that we acquiesce in the abolition. As a matter of fact, our mind is not made up, because we have not the facts before us to enable us to do so. We would like to have time to ascertain public opinion, and we ask that before the Government actually makes its decision it will give us full opportunity to debate the matter.
From individual items I now turn to certain general features of the draft Estimates-the financial side of the Budget, and the method of its preparation. In making our remarks we do so in no carping spirit, but with the sole object of assisting the Government with some constructive suggestions.
In the draft Estimates the totals of Other Charges and Special Expenditure are not shown separately, as they had been invariably shown until a few years ago. If anyone now desires to ascertain this information, he will have to make the calculation himself.
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