CO129-543-12 Loans for public work 29-3-1933 - 20-12-1933 — Page 38

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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Prisons Department.

No comments on the Government proposals.

Medical Department.

We regret to learn, from the Honourable Colonial Secretary's speech, that it has been thought necessary to prune so excessively the Medical Department Estimates, and in particular we regret that the Dispensary Launch and the additional Sister for Public Health work and the Staff of four Chinese Health Nurses to make a start with Health Visiting and Instruction, have been abandoned.

But, in particular, we regret the parsimony which is apparently being practised in regard to the expenditure on the Malaria Bureau.

So far as we can ascertain (from page 61 of the Estimates) there is only one trifling small item of additional expenditure for the Malaria Staff, namely 1 Probationer Inspector with a salary of $525 per annum.

Our chief cause for anxiety in this connection, which is based upon reports from time to time leaking through, is the apparently considerable rate of sickness from malaria amongst the coolies work- ing in the Shing Mun Valley.

The Shing Mun Dam is only mentioned once in the acting Colonial Secretary's speech (at page 23) but the water shortages of the past few years have been sufficiently serious to make any neglect by the Government to ensure, to the best of its ability, that there shall be no delay in construction which is due to preventable causes, liable to severe adverse comment.

We would therefore ask for a definite reply from the Govern- ment as to whether every one of the requirements of the Honourable the Director of Medical and Sanitary Services and of the Malariologist in regard to Malaria prevention in the Shing Mun Valley have been fully carried out and, if not, for what reasons these requirements have not been fully carried out.

Also, we should like to be informed, in connection with the Shing Mun Dam, whether the recent decision to locate the Dam below the Falls is likely to prolong the contract time for the comple- tion of the work and also the date when that contract time will now expire.

In addition, we should like to know how soon the Colony may expect to derive substantial benefit from the impounding of water by the partial construction of the Dam,

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