1
3
MODERN METHODS ram informed by the Director of Medical Services that the treat- ment of Cholera patients is accord- ing to modern methods.
now I think await the arrival of the new Superintendent of the Botanical and Forestry Depart- ment.
The increase in the cost of the Wireless Sub-department has no- thing to do with the transfer to the Post Office. It is apart from additions at Kai Tak due to three causes: The reintroduction of a post of Wireless Engineer to carry
The high death rate he attri- butes to the poor physical condi- tion and under-nourishment of most of the sufferers, and perhaps also to the fact that Cholera is not endemic in Hong Kong and the people are therefore more susception that side of the work of Mr. ble to the disease than they would be if they had had the chance of acquiring partial immunity.
As matters stand there is little to be gained by storing up vast quantities of vaccine, which will only last two years, so long as supplies can be obtained without difficulty from elsewhere.
STREET LIGHTING
The question of street lighting to meet local
been conditions has under discussion for some time be- tween the Public Works Depart- ment and the local supply Com- panies. Certain information has not just been received from Eng- land and the conclusions are now being considered. Extra money is being spent next year on the main- tenance of Kowloon roads.
REVENUE OFFICERS' CASE Executive Action Is Being Taken
Against Those Concerned
I find it a little difficult, to com- ment on the case of certain re- venue officers partly because it is still in a sense sub judice, partly because I prefer to believe that I have misunderstood the meaning of the words used by the speaker in this instance.
Following the recent Court pro- ceedings (which, I believe, es- tablished that the transaction was not one of bribery) executive ac- tion is being taken against all the officers concerned.
CHAI WAN CEMETERY It is quite usual in such cases to await the result of Court pro- ceedings before taking other action.
There has been a protest against the decision to establish a cemetery at Chai Wan. I am assured by the Chairman of the Urban Coun- cil that he considered every other possible site and that a proposal to put this cemetery on the mainland was strongly opposed. I hope that the Botanical Department will be able to mitigate the effect by planting trees and that our local George Washingtons will keep their hands off them.
NEW TERRITORIES
I am, I admit, not so pessimistic about the position of the New Ter- ritory farmer as is the Honourable Dr. Li nor so optimistic as he ap- pears to be regarding the produc- tivity of New Territory soil. But these and kindred matters might
L. H. King; the promotion of two officers to the post of Assistant Wireless Engineer; and some in- crease due to normal expansion.
PERSONAL EMOLUMENTS Extra Staff For The Queen Mary Hospital.
With regard to Personal Emolu- ments, Medical Department, on a rough calculation I make the addi- tion in respect of extra staff for the Queen Mary Hospital about $20.000, plus about another $7,000 in respect of posts added in 1937 for which full provision was not made during that year. The ba- lance say $40,000 is accounted for by acting pay, increments and pro- motions.
"HANGERS-ON”
The difficulty felt by one Hon- ourable Member regarding the Senior Clerical Officers in the Sanitary Department is due to cer- tain complications of the present system whereby the salaries of transferable officers must be pro- vided in the Estimates of the De- partment to which they belong when those Estimates are prepared.
This means that most Depart- ments have to provide for a cer- tain number of "hangers on"- officers on leave and so on. The Government is considering the ad- visability of providing in 1939 for such unattached officers under a separate sub-head,-perhaps of the Colonial Secretary's Office-in order to avoid obscurities of this sort.
CITY DEVELOPMENT
The future of St. John's Place and Battery Path depends upon the decision to be reached regarding the City Development Scheme which has been held in abeyance pend.ng the arrival of Sir Geoffry Northcote. The views of Sir An- drew Caldecott are on record and have been communicated to mem- bers of the Executive Council.
OUTSIDE EVENTS Too Much Hysteria—Stolidity
Preferable
In conclusion may I add one ob- servation though it is not, strictly speaking, within my province to- day.
The Honourable Mr. Lo spoke of the air of unreality which these proceedings must wear if no re- ference is made to outside events.
Samuel Butler somewhere des- cribes a race of beings who knew
the future better than the past. These creatures, you may remem- ber, did not survive very long, since most of them died of un- happiness before they grew up.
We are, perhaps fortunately, made a little differently; and I feel that there is something to be said for the man who goes about his business as though he did not notice the roof cracking over his head.
With so much hysteria in the world it is as well sometimes to err on the side of stolidity.
MR. N. L. SMITH
Revision Of Budget
Presentation Method
The Hon. Mr. N. L. Smith said: I am very grateful for the sym- pathetic reception which the Un- official Members of this Council have accorded to the Government's Budget proposals for 1938, and I am glad that the very helpful criticisms made a week ago will not in any particular respect be pressed to a division.
My honourable colleague the Colonial Secretary, whom I ven- ture to congratulate on his very able presentation of his second successive Budget, has to-day covered so much of the ground that there only remain a few points on which I would desire to address the Council in closing the debate.
THE BUDGET
I should in the first place like to assure the Council that the pro- posed revision of the method of presenting the annual Budget, to which the Hon. Mr. M. K. Lo has made a passing reference, has not been forgotten.
The details have been worked out and the only reasons why a year's postponement was decided upon have been first the transfer of Sir Andrew Caldecott, who was the sponsor of the proposals, and the desirability of being sure that his successor would agree with those proposals; and secondly the reorganization of the machinery of Government which is embodied in the person of the Hon. Finan- cial Secretary.
Mr. Caine only arrived in July and, apart from all else, it would hardly have been possible to ar- range a completely new system with the Budget already in active preparation. I should like to take this opportunity of recording the Colony's obligation not only to Mr. Caine for his highly skilled assistance but also to the Colonial Office for sparing us one of its ablest financial experts.
↑
201
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.