(2)
223
SOUTH CHINA
MOF
DEBATE ON THE BUDGET.
(Continued from Page 11.)
everyone will agree with me that the foregoing shows that these two buildings are not to-day economic propositions. I am also informed that extensive repairs are again being carried out at Government House. The Governor, in my opinion, needs a retreat from the cares and worries of his official position in addition to which our New Territories are assuming every year a greater and greater importance and the presence of His Excellency there will I feel sure be not only much appreciated, but also of benefit to the Colony.
I do not know where the new Government House will be, but I hope it will be easily accessible at all times of the year. In any event I would suggest that the new City Hall, the building of which, I hope will be commenced without delay, be so constructed that the King's Brithday celebra- tions and other official functions
an be held there.
Broadcasting,
It is pleasant to note that the grant for broadcasting has been increased. There has been very substantial improvement in this service during the past year and many people probably do not realise that it is controlled by a Voluntary Committee, to whom our thanks are due. The grant should I think be still further increased. Trade Loan.
As regards the Trade Loan, I notice there is about one and a quarter million dollars still out- standing and I would like to know why this has not been collected also what interest the Government is getting on its fixed deposits and whether such money could not be more profitably invested.
Statistical Department.
which, I find, has been done very its policy is to aid all alike with- well indeed.
out distinction of race or nation- ality. In fact, some non-Chinese children have received benefits from the Society.
Improving Estimates, Encouraged by the readiness of the Government to receive sug- gestions in this direction, I ven- ture to offer a few more recom- mendations for improving still further the technical aspect of future Estimates.
were
As the Government has accepted the principle of showing under the same department all the items of expenditure appertaining there- to, I think that it would be better if launches-with their crews- not belonging to the Harbour De- partment, such as items 31, 32, 33 and 34 under Special Expenditure of the Harbour Department on page 29 of the Estimates, inserted under the Department directly concerned, though the control of such craft could still be vested in the Hon. Harbour Master. That the Government re- eognises the merits of this prin- ciple is evidenced by the transfer of the crews of "F.D.D. No. 1" and "P.W.D. Divers' Barge" from the Estimates of the Harbour Depart- ment to those of the Public Works Department-see page 32 of the Estimates. I submit that
once that principle. is accepted, it should be adopted throughout the Estimates.
The item 'Chain Cable for Moor-
ings, $22.960' under Other Charges of the Harbour Department (page 29) should, I think he more ap- propriately allocated to Special Expenditure of that Department because it is non-recurrent expen- diture. To
insert such
items
under "Other Charges" which covers, or should cover, annually- recurring disbursements, tends to make the figure for the annually recurrent estimates misleading.
Employing Local Men.
I now pass on to a subject which has been the cause of consider able public interest the scheme or experiment of employing local men to fill certain positions hitherto held by Europeans. It is gratifying to find that this policy I notice with regret in the Re- which my honourable friend Mr. port of the Superintendent of Im-J. F. Braga and I have advocated ports and Exports that although for some years is at last to be our Statistical Department was adopted, though by way of experi- clamoured for, some few years ment. In his speech introducing ago, the demand locally remains the Budget, the Hon. Colonial rather meagre.
Secretary said: "Some expansion of the staff available for these clerical positions is inevitable, and it is merely a question of the nature of the expansion." These words foreshadow a further in- crease in staff, and connote an uncertainty as to whether local men or Europeans ployed for the new posts, if creat- ed. I hope that in these days of retrenchment such expansion may be rendered unnecessary by A
redistribution careful
of work;
ser-
Public Service. Before closing I would like to express appreciation of the vices rendered by the St. John Ambulance Association, the New Territories Medical Benevolent Association, the Society for the Protection of Children and other kindred voluntary concerns
who do much beneficial work, which would otherwise have to be pro-
the tax
papers. Money voted for these Assolations is money well spent, and the grants should
be still further increased.
Exchange Question. This brings me to a conclusion, but before resuming my seat, may I express the hope that as far as the Government is concerned the dollar will not fall below 1/2 and that at the end of the coming year we shall find ourselves with a nice fat balance in hand, and with our public works well on the way to completion. (Applause).
CHINESE VIEWS.
are to be em-
and that, if it should become an absolute necessity to expand, the posts may be given to local men.
More Funds Needed. The Society's Inspectors give advice on hygiene and kindred mattera to parents of sick and starving children, and the Society provides such children with medi- 'cine and food, and also maintains at its expense several children in certain charitable institutions. The cost of purchasing milk foods and medicines alone now amounts to $1,000 a month. In the first ten months of the Society's pre- sent financial year its total ex- penditure has been $16,680, and its receipts from various sources, including the Government grant
of $3,000, amount to only $13,014.
Unless the Society's work is to be curtailed-and it cannot be curtailed without giving the So- ciety a set-back-its expenditure is certain to exceed $24,000 in the coming year; and even this figure allows nothing for the expansion
which one would reasonably ex- pect with an institution only just about entering the third year of its effective life. There can be no doubt that the Society, by afford- ing medical treatment to sick and starving children and by provid-
ing them with proper food, has saved and is saving many lives. I therefore beg Your Excellency to increase the annual grant to $10,- 000 next year, so as to enable the Society to carry on, unhampered, work which is essential for the social well-being of the Colony.
Inadequate Estimate.
On page 98 of the Estimates, Public Works Recurrent shows a total of $1,692,500 as against $1.- 521,800 for the current year. The Estimates for next year, though $171,000 in excess of the previous approved estimate, is, I fear, still inadequate, for a reference to the Abstract of Expenditure on page 12 reveals the fact that for 1932 the revised estimate is $1,800,000. If expenditure next year maintains level as the revised the same
the present year- estimate for
of no reaso!! and I can conceive why it should be less-then the seems to be short of estimate about $100,000, unless the Govern- ment intends to economise gener- ally. But it has to be borne in mind that votes for Public Works Recurrent are in the nature of maintenance expenditure, and it seems to me to be false economy to stint the maintenance of public works; for roads, embankments; and other constructions of such nature, if not properly maintain- ed in good conditiou, must inevit-
re
ably result in greater expenditure by reason of the large amount of money necessary for major pairs which timely maintenance obviated. If, how- would have ever, the Government has no in- of economising in this tention direction, then it is had estimat- ing to provide in the Budget a less amount than is really needed,
It is my firm belief that there is adequate material to be found locally for at least some of the posts on the Senior Clerical and and that the Accounting Staff;
of men, who now proper type eschew the Civil Service for its insufficient prospects, will be at- merely for the purpose of present- tracted to it, if promotion to these ing a balanced Budget, and with higher clerical positions of trust the intention of applying for sup- and responsibility were to be plementary votes, as has
done during the last two or three made by selection according to merit, instead
It is to be hoped that in of strictly by years. seniority. Heads of departments future Estimates an amount based on the actual expenditure of the can help to make the scheme a
and on careful success by carefully ascertaining previous year,
future require- the capabilities and aptitudes of estimating of individual members of their staff, ments, will be inserted. and bringing confidentially, if deser-
Hon. Mr. R. H. Kote-
wall's Able Exposition.necessary-special cases
TAXATION QUESTION. such a plan induce the right type
ving of promotion to the notice of the Subordinate Staffs Board. Not only would promotions made on
of men to enter the Service, but they would also be an incentive Hon. Mr. Kotewall, speaking as to junior men to do better work. the senior Chinese representative, As time goes on I think that the said:
local material available for such Sir, In my experience as a posts, and even for higher posts, member
im of this Council, which will be both increased and covers a period of nearly ten proved on account of the increas- years, there has not been in that ing number of graduates from the period a Budget which contained University of Hongkong. At pre- so few controversial items, or sent it is sad to see so many of which was so well balanced as the the splendid products of our Uni- Budget now before us. There is versity unable to find employment therefore very little for me to justifying the standard of educa- criticise. I have never been a tion they have received. carping critic, but have always
Help for Children.
held to the belief that praise My friend the Hon. Mr. W. E. L. should be given where praise is Shenton has expressed the view due.
that money voted for the Society for the Protection of Children, The innovation-introduced two or three years ago and carried and for certain other associations, was money well spent, and that further this year-of leaving de- the grants should be still further tails as far as possible to foot-
increased. With this sentiment notes and memoranda, and con-
I am in entire agreement. Speak- fining the introductory Budget speech to policy and important ing as a past Chairman of the items, has evoked favourable com- Executive Committee of the So ment all round. If I may be per-ciety named, I ask that the vote mitted to say so, the Hon. Colonial which the Government has Secretary's speech on the present generously increased from $3,000 to $5,000 per annum with effect Budget has clearly and ably pre- sented to the public the financial from 1st January next year (page position of the Colony and the 89), may be further increased to request I have financial policy of the Govern- $10,000. In this
the support of all my unofficial colleagues.
ment.
80
The Water Supply
been
I now come to a subject which, for the moment, is the most im- portant to the community-the problem of the Colony's water supply. It is indeed a welcome assurance from the Hon. Colonial Secretary that should further funds for the new water-works be required, the Government will not hesitate to come to this Council and ask for them. My Chinese colleagues and I express the sin- cere hope that every dollar of the money provided for 1933 towards these works will be spent; and that, if possible, the programme of work for the coming year may be exceeded, so that the completion of these vitally necessary expan- sions of the water supply may be expedited. I have no hesitation in claiming to speak on behalf of all my unofficial colleagues when I say that if additional funds be asked for, approval will readily be accorded by us.
The honourable senior unofficial member has, on behalf of all the unofficials, asked that a telegram be sent to the Secretary of State for the Colonies pressing for in- formation as to when the plans of the new Shing Mun Dam may be expected to arrive in the Colony. I strongly support this request. A telegram despatched at this juncture should serve to stress the extreme urgency of the matter, and the need for an early of construction commencement
The form of the Estimates, too, is much better, even though that The work of the Society, which
work. owes its existence as much to the of the 1932 Estimates was itself a distinct improvement on its pre- Government as to the Chinese decessors for some yearS. It is a leaders of this Colony, has deve- matter of some satisfaction to loped beyond all expectation. In myself that the suggestions made its first full effective year it dealt by me last year for improving the with 333 cases, and in the first ten technical side of the Estimates months of this, its second effec- have been carried out almost in tive year, it has already rendered their entirety. Breaking up the assistance to 702 new cases. various omnibus' heads, and al- work lies almost entirely among locating the items thereunder to the children of the very poorest of the Colony's poor, and although the different departments con- cerned, must have entailed on by the nature of the Colony's those responsible for the task a population 95 per cent of those its help are Chinese, great deal of exacting work-work receiving
Its
Good Police Work. My Chinese colleagues and I de- sire to associate ourselves most the sentiments of heartily with the honourable senior unofficial member regarding the good work of the Police and Police Reserve. The disposition of these Forces made by the Hon. Inspector Gen- eral of Police during the past few
of anxiety, deserves weeks stinted praise. The work was so efficiently and yet so quietly done
un-
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