HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
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support of this forward policy and can only say I can find little support for his statement. Taking the draft Estimates as a whole, I describe the general position to be that nothing more than ordinary current expenditure and usual development work has been provided for-nothing more than one would ordinarily expect to see in any normal year. Certain minor public works are provided for, but they would occur in any normal year.
Many of the great crying needs of the Colony are not even men- tioned; in fact, I find, in the words of the Honourable Colonial Secre- tary, that none of "my favourite schemes" have been included. I omit, of course, the water question because that is a matter which must be put in a category by itself and has already been fully dealt with.
It needs no further comment from me, save that no effort can be too great to avert a recurrence of the crisis we experienced this year.
The Honourable the Colonial Secertary consoles us with the fact that we can finance the contemplated increases in the Estimates without recourse to increased taxation, a very satisfactory state of affairs, but it certainly appears to me having regard to the general tenor of the Estimates that such cannot be the position much longer.
I will not dwell on the water question, Government Civil Hos- pital, the Gaol, the Playing Grounds, Port Facilities, markets, the uncompleted part of the 70 feet road between Causeway Bay and Tai- koo Sugar Factory, Aviation and Broadcasting; they have already been dealt with by the honourable the senior member, but I have in addition a number of my favourite schemes, and I will now deal with what I regard as some of our most pressing needs in "this, the most progressive and up-to-date Colony of the British Empire."
Are we proud of our City Hall? True it was an appropriate building 40 to 50 years ago and the Colony must still be grateful to a generous Government and public men who provided the site and building. Is it at all in keeping with the present requirements of the Colony? Recently His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester visited the Colony and the Theatre being the most central position was chosen for his official reception--unfortunately the space is so limited that many were unable to receive invitations, almost to the extent of causing general dissatisfaction on such an auspicious occa- sion.
The floors of the reception halls have to be shored up whenever a public reception or entertainment is given-the public library and museum must be the cause of disappointment to any visitor who happens to be passing through the Colony.
The late Sir C. P. Chater, for many years a member of this Council, left a very interesting and valuable collection of pictures depicting the Colony's history from the earliest times, and also a
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