88
planation is that the sum of $46,000
is the estimate of the cost of this! IN COMMITTEE.
school in the fourth year of its working, when a full staff, includ- ing a principal, has been engaged. As yet no principal has been ap- pointed, and the full estimate of the cost of this school for next year, as prepared by the University au- thorities, is only $40,000. There- fore, this sum only is included. I may here say that the Government! attaches great importance to the University School of Chinese and will certainly give it effective sup- port.
Tung Wa Hospital.
The Chinese members of this Council have asked Government to make a substantial annual grant to the Tung Wa Eastern Hospital, of which the foundation stone was laid last year, and which will, I understand, be ready to be opened: at the end of next November. No, provision for such a grant made in the draft estimates because the Direc-
was
UNOFFICIALS WILL NOT BE PERSUADED.
ditional launches are required can- not satisfactorily be determined by a debate in this Council, but could very easily be determined by the Harbour Board, to which the Har- bour Master could submit full de- tails and figures, for instance, all the amounts spent during the past year for hire of launches for the use of the Department. In that way the Harbour Board could form a very good idea as to whether in fact this new launch for the car- riage of stores and relief to cost GOVERNOR'S PLEA. $40,000, is required or not.
FORCE DIVISION ON ROAD VOTE.
The Bill having been read a second time, the Council went into Committee to consider the Bill clause by clause.
Misleading.
In connexion, Sir, with this item I am sorry to say I have a grouse to make. I appreciate the fact that no intentional trap was laid, but I do consider the words "carriage of In connexion with the sum of stores and relief" extremely mis- $996,342 for the Harbour Depart-leading. I took it to be for car- ment, the Hon. Sir Henry Pollock riage of stores and relief work, said. Sir, In connexion with this which could be done periodically, vote I wish to move an amendment,
and that was why I suggested the of which, for the sake of con-
employment of the Kau Sing. It did not convey in the least bit to my mind that this launch was to be used as a relief launch for the numerous launches under the con-
Colonial Secretary in a wrote him on Friday last.
letter I
"That the proposed vote of $996,342 for the Harbour Depart-trol of the Harbour Department. I ment and Air Services be reduced to $926,342 by the omission from it of the following two items, on page 27 of the Estimates for 1930, namely:
23. 1 new motor-launch for G. M. S. Department $30,000, and 28. 1 new launch for carriage
tors of the Tung Wa Hospi-venience, I gave notice to the Hon. tal were until very recently in doubt whether funds for the maintenance and working expenses of their new Eastern Branch Hospital could be found. A written assurance has now been given by the Chairman; of the Tung Wa Hospital on be- half of all the Directors to my Gov- ernment through the Secretary for Chinese Affairs that they will hand over to their successors a sum cf at least $100,000 specially raised for the Tung Wa Eastern Hospital Fund. I shall, therefore, be willing early in next year to recommend to this Council a supplementary vote of $25,000 as subsidy to the Tung Wa Eastern Hospital upon the distinct understanding, how- ever, that in the unfortunate event of the Directors at any future time finding themselves unable to carry on for lack of funds, the Eastern Hospital and its management shall be handed over to Government.
Not Disappointing.
of stores and relief
$40,000.
and that the necessity for these items be referred to the Harbour Board for the purpose of report- ing as to such necessity to this Council."
do submit that it is eminently a matter for the Harbour Board to de- cide whether this new launch is re- quired for the carriage of stores and relief. It is a launch we seem to have done without for some time past.
I presume in that connexion the Harbour Board will also consider the question of whether for that purpose or for any other purpose better use could not be made of the launch Lila which, I understand, is placed at the disposal of the Harbour Master so that he can go afloat at any time by day or night. In support of this motion it is I do not know whether the Lila is unnecessary for me in the first in- required exclusively for this pur- stance to draw attention to the fact t pose or not, or if she could be work- that a Harbour Board has been re-ed in for the purposes of the Har- cently appointed in this Colony,bour Department for the carriage
of stores or relief or for any other purpose the Harbour Board may consider she is suitable.
body can possibly dispute its com-
The Surveyors' Work. petence to decide on the question
With reference to the number of of the sufficiency of launches for the launches required by the Govern- use of the Harbour Department. ment Marine Surveyors Depart- Whilst I am indebted to the Harment so far as I can gather two bour Master for the very full state- ment he has given to us with regard to the work of the faunches in his Department, I submit that the question of whether these
launches are only left available for the G.M.S. to do work afloat in the harbour. If that be correct, it seems to me that what we are pro- ad-posing to do in the Estimates is to double the number of launches for the G.M.S. Department work afloat. I do not profess to say whether it is
necessary to have two launches for the G.M.S. Depart- ment in addition to the two they already have, and I do not think it is right to ask this Council to de- cide it.
of which the Harbour Master IS It remains for me now to thank Chairman. It is a strongly con- the Unofficial Members of the Coun-stituted Board and I think that no- cil very sincerely for the patience and attention with which they have listened to the presentation of the Government's case, in connex- ion with the budget, both at the meeting of the 5th inst. and again to-day. I do not myself consider next year's budget in any way dis- appointing. On the contrary, I think it shows a steady progress in the Colony's prosperity. We have now completely recovered, I venture to hope, from the blow dealt us by Bolshevism in 1925. We have re-established very friend- ly relations with the authorities of the Kwangtung province, and I look forward to years of fruitful co- operation between the Hongkong Government and the Canton Gov- ernment for mutual benefit to Bri- tish and Chinese trade. There may be nothing spectacular in next year's budget, but we have now for the most part overtaken the com- /mitments of the past; and, if the finances of the Colony continue to show elasticity and strength, I have no reason to doubt that we shall be able before long to take up works of.considerable magnitude, in addi- tion to the very large waterworks which we propose to construct. (Applause.)
more
It is quite obvious, Sir, that we must be very
the careful with means at our disposal to cut our coat according to our cloth. There are many important matters, like
No comments yet.
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