HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
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A Royal Commission was appointed presided over by the Right Honourable Mr. Asquith in the year 1919, as a result of which very large Government grants were made, and to-day, roughly, the Government provides, either direct or through local authorities, 50% of the revenue of Oxford University, 45% of the revenue of Cambridge University, 50% of the revenue of Birmingham University, 70% of the revenue of Bristol University, and 60% of the revenue of Leeds University. In fact out of the total income of the Univer- sities of Great Britain about 50% is contributed by either Government or local authorities.
The conclusion that follows from an examination of these facts is that this Colony must accept the Hong Kong University as an integral and essential part of its education scheme and must give it that adequate support which would justify us in continuing to call it a University on the English model. The minimum annual sum which the Government should contribute to the University is $200,000.
I hope your Excellency's efforts on behalf of the University to obtain an allocation of part of the Boxer Indemnity moneys may yet be successful. In the field of education what better cause could be found?
Conclusion.
Such being the vista we have before us, can it be wondered that one is appalled at the large expenditure of money that lies before us? "Nil mortalibus ardui est." Some of the propositions call for immediate adoption. They can no longer be delayed,
Some may possibly be held in abeyance for a little longer but as surely as night follows day all must eventually be taken in hand. (Applause).
HON. MR. J. P. BRAGA.-Your Excellency, My remarks on the Budget will be limited almost exclusively to matters concerning Kowloon. They are not intended to dilate upon the numerous sub- jects involving heavy expenditure making up the Budget for 1930. That ground has been very fully and very ably covered by the Honour- able Senior Unofficial Member as the Unofficial spokesman on this occasion. It is matters of so-called municipal interest with which I am at the moment principally concerned.
Conspicuous among the omissions from the list of Public Works Extraordinary-which the Honourable Colonial Secretary in his Budget speech described as "that very popular vote to which members of the public are inclined to turn first to see whether their own favourite schemes have been included"-is any reference to the Kowloon Tong market. This omission has been alluded to by the Senior Unofficial Member this afternoon. Permit me, Sir, to point out that the failure to include the Kowloon Tong Market in the list of public works may be regarded as a slight on, and scant considera- tion for, the gentlemen who have the honour of representation on the Sanitary Board. Moreover, provision for a market in Kowloon Tong was forcefully urged in this Council in a speech last year by the Hon. Mr. Shenton. Hope was raised that Kowloon Tong residents
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