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Post Office and Wireless.
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INCREASES.
Carriage of Mails cost $159,925 or $44,925 more than the estimate due to transit charges being paid in gold.
Imports and Exports Office.
Six Government opium shops were opened in October and the initial expenses and cost of maintenance amounted to $11,860 for which no provision was made in the Estimates.
Crown Solicitor's Office.
An excess of $13,348 over the provision of $2,000 under legal expenses was due to costs in a Privy Council
case.
Medical Department.
Provisions for patients cost $27,850 more than the sutu of $120,000 estimated owing to higher contract prices and more patients.
Miscellaneous Services.
Owing to congestion in the gaol printing shop more work had to be put out to the Government printers and the estimate for this was overspent by $16,233. The Government Gazette cost $5,500 more than estimated owing to the large number and size of Ordinances. The vote of $400,000 for Government Servants passages was underestimated and required supplementing by $87,784. The costs of the Anti-Japanese riots of 1931 were for the most part paid in 1932 amounting to $30,738. Compensa- tion to Mr. Noel Jnstone Brewer amounted to $14,065. Expenses in connection with police preventive measures due to the Sino-Japanese conflict cost $11,129.
Public Works Department.
The severe drought of 1932 required emergency services entailing the laying down of water pipes and erection of stand pipes in the populous parts of the City costing $56,922. A broadcast transmitter, $6,576, and Wireless telegraphy instruments, $23,838, were bought during the year, no provision having been made when the estimates were prepared owing to financial stringency at that time.
Public Works Recurrent.
The total provision under this head was supplemented to the extent of $389,500 by a resolution of Council dated 30th June and more maintenance work could therefore be carried out. The principal increases over the amounts
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originally provided occurred in Maintenance of Buildings $42,184, Maintenance of roads and bridges in and outside the City $21,206, Maintenance of Water-works City $35,296, Maintenance of Water-works Kowloon, $14,054, Dredging Foreshores, $5,539, Maintenance of roads and bridges in the New Territories $18,729. The provision of $121,800 for the purchase of water meters was exceeded by $245,254 owing to the adoption of universal meterage added to normal expansion.
Public Works Extraordinary.
More work was carried out on the rubble mound at North Point involving an increase of $24,987. The improvement of main roads in Kowloon for motor traffic cost $25,522 more than the provision. More road condition - ing at Shataukok was undertaken during the year involving $13,962 over the estimate. The following are some of the items which were not inserted in the original estimates but provided by supplementary votes during the year. Purchase of House No. 525 The Peak $48,000, Free connection in Rider main areas $15,475, Additions to Kowloon Hospital $19,852, Improving and Strengthening main roads New Territories $47,566, Improvements to Taipo Water-works and Fanling Water-works $9.954 and $6,793 respectively.
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