C. S. O.
M.F. 291)
36
recipal and beneficial basis, will be arranged with the Chinese Authorities.
We approve of the proposed re- vival of the Flying Club.
With regard to the section in the Acting Colonial Secretary's speech which deals with Legal Departments. we submit that two new Solicitors, with the necessary legal qualifications and with some years of practical experience, ought to be engaged at once from England.
One of such officers is required to replace the late Mr. Agassiz.
The engagement of the second of such officers is rendered neces- sary by the following facts, namely:
(1) That one of the officers in one of the Legal Departments, who is now home on leave, has, during his recent term of service in this Colony, been suffering from bad health, and
are
(II) By the fact that the officers in the Legal Departments compelled to work long hours in order to keep them abreast of their tasks, and that, although they are most of them no longer young, no provision whatever is made for occasional sickness in their ranks or for any vacation leave.
Looking ahead a few years, we would add that the work of the Land Office and also of the Registry of the Supreme Court is in our opinion of such an im-
portant character, from the public point of view, that Legal Officers should be engaged from England for the posts of Assistants in the Land Office and the Registry respectively, to arrive out here for at least a year prior to the retire- ment of the present Land Officer and Registrar respectively-the laws and also conditions in this Colony being different from those at Home.
Police Department
some more
The proposed new appointments neet with our approval, as also the new scheme for Sub-Inspectors in the Cantonese contingent.
We regret that suitable name cannot be devised to indicate the "Upper Levels Police Station," as there are so many other higher levels than its pro- posed site on Hospital Road.
the Govern-
No comments
ment proposals.
on
We regret to learn, from the Honourable Colonial Secretary's Speech, that it has been thought necessary to prune so excessively the Medical Department Esti- mates, 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.
1
(3)
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 Pro- bationer Inspector with a salary of $525 per annum.
Malaria at Shing Mun. 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 tne coones 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 con- struction which is due to prevent- able causes, liable to severe ad- verse comment.
We would therefore ask for a definite reply from the Govern- ment as to whether every one of the requirements of the Honour- able 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 re- quirements have not been fully carried out.
Dam Location.
Also, we should like to be in- formed, in connection with the Shing Mun Dam, whether the re- cent 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 ex- benefit pect to derive substantial from the impounding of water by the partial construction of the Dam.
In connection with the 2nd cross-Harbour Pipe-Line, which would have been quite useful dur- ing the recent few months for conveying surplus Kowloon water to the Island, we beg leave to point out that such a second pipe-line Unofficial was suggested by the
members as far back as 1929 (see Hansard 1929 at page 101) but was then negatived by the Government, on the ground that the Pipe-Line was an experiment (Hansard, page 110).
We would also enquire whether: it is impracticable to complete that Pipe-Line and its necessary connecting pipes by the end of 1934 instead of at some date in 1935 (see Estimates, page 114).
The Unofficial Members cordial-! ly agree with the Government's inauguration of a Fund to meet "the wide and increasing distress which the bad times have brought upon Officers of the Mercantile : Marine."
They also approve of the_pro- posed establishment of a Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.
Military Contribution.
The Unofficials are glad to note that by friendly agreement with the War Office a reduction has been obtained in regard to certain items chargeable to Military Con- tribution.
Their congratulations on this point are, however, somewhat tem- pered by the reflection that such Military Contribution in the year 1910 amounted to less than $1,400,- 000, and that the Unofficial Mem- bers unanimously advocated by 'motion in this Council, which was defeated by the Official vote, in the year 1911 (see Hansard 1911, page 102 et sec.) that the Military Contribution should be limited to a fixed annual sum of $1,000,000— whereas in the present year, 1933, it is estimated that that contribu- tion will amount to over $5,600- 000.
The principle of paying increas- ed Military Contribution because we have to raise additional re- venue to pay for necessary public works extraordinary is so obvious- ly unsound that I do not think that any member of this Council will be found to support it
The full absurdity of the posi- tion is brought out by the fact that the Military Contribution is now four times what it was in 1910.
Public Works.
The Unofficials note with plea- sure that the action of the Polo Club in kindly consenting to a transfer of their polo ground at Causeway Bay to Kowloon has re- leased the present polo ground as a recreation ground for the use of His Majesty's Navy.
As regards the new Government House and City Development, the Unofficials approve generally of the proposed scheme but would venture to advocate:
(I) That the new Government Offices should contain a suitably large room for H.E. the Governor to interview people, especially as his present Office in the present Government House will then no longer be available.
(II) That room for the Lending Collection Library and other books removed from the City Hall Library will be found in the new City Hall.
We note with regret that it is proposed to drive a new road of apparently much greater width than the present right of way on the north side of St. John's Cathe- dral, which new road, by its greater encouragement of motor traffic, would tend to interfere with the quiet which is so necessary to the services of the Cathedral.
Auditor's Report.
The Acting Auditor's Report for 1932 (in addition to raising some points of technical accounting) mentions two points upon which feel bound to comment specifically.
we
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.