CO129-519-2 Estimates for 1930 19-9-1929 - 19-9-1929 — Page 213

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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

figures for Shanghai. I therefore venture to doubt the justness of the charge that our Personal Emoluments absorb an unduly high proportion of our revenue, while the need for some improvement of salaries, especially in the lower grades of the service, has been shown by the report of the Salaries Commission.

I pass now, Sir, to some of the detailed criticisms and enquiries of my unofficial friends.

Taking first the remarks of the senior unofficial member, as regards the Gaol we all know that a new Gaol is required and that the work once commenced at Kai Tak was suspended owing to the financial difficulties of the year 1925. That site is no longer available, being required to be reserved for the development of the Aerodrome, and I have no doubt the foundations prepared for the Gaol will be found useful for future buildings. The question of accommodation in the prisons is receiving attention. A proposal has been made to transfer the female prisoners to Lai Chi Kok, where there is space available, and if the transfer can be effected the situation in Victoria Gaol will be considerably relieved. The present Government, while recognizing the need for a new Gaol, differs from its predecessors in thinking that a new Civil Hospital should have priority over a new Gaol, and we doubt if the finances of the Colony justify the undertaking of both of these costly works at once. It is for this reason that we thought it worth while to improve the printing shop in the Gaol as we believe it will prove an economical undertaking in the long run. We cannot vacate the present Gaol until the new Gaol is ready, and I venture to predict that ten years is a modest estimate for the life of the present Gaol. I might remind honourable members that the printing shop proposal was laid before them in the Budget for 1929 and a sum of $41,000 was voted without demur. When the plans came to be worked out it was found that the proposed scheme would not provide all the accommodation required and an amended scheme costing $100,000 has been prepared in its place. The Honourable Director of Public Works will be prepared to explain the details in Committee and I trust that Honourable members will agree with the Government that the scheme will prove to be an economy in the long run and will approve the expenditure asked for.

The important subject of Education has not unnaturally given rise to comment from more than one of my unofficial friends. The Government will take counsel with the Director of Education on the points raised by the senior unofficial member, but I would remind him that a good deal is already being done in the way of instruction in sanitation and hygiene in all schools and in elementary agricultural instruction in certain selected areas. The honourable member also asked whether school fees should not be reduced. The Government does not consider that the fees charged in Government schools are unduly high in view of the educational facilities provided and cannot see any adequate reason for reducing these fees.