385
10
8. Other Charges show few changes as compared with this year, apart from the items already referred to, increases in Conveyance Allowances, Transport and Uniforms being almost entirely due to the increase of the Physical Training Staff.
Head 26-Kowloon Canton Railway.
1. Various alterations have been made in the duties and distribution of the Subordinate Staff in the interests of efficiency, new posts being more than offset by corresponding abolitions. The cost of the salaries of four Tube Cleaners and two Chippers will be more than offset by savings resulting from greater locomotive efficiency.
2. Under Special Expenditure it has been necessary to provide for new Locomotive Staff quarters at Hung Hom as the present building, over fifty years old, is considered dangerous by the Building Authority. It is proposed to improve Kowloon Station at a cost of $7,100, mainly by the extension of one of the existing platforms; at present only one platform is sufficiently long to. accommodate the through expresses. The installation of double wire signalling at Fanling Station at a cost of $8,000 will not only expedite train crossings but will enable Two annual recurrent savings of more than 10 per cent on the outlay to be made. coaches over twenty years old are to be reconditioned, and one locomotive boiler is to be replaced at the end of its efficient life. An arrangement has been made with the Kowloon Motor Bus Company, whereby the present bus service between Taipo Market and Fanling crossroads will be replaced by a railbus shuttle service, and provision for a railbus at a cost of $8,000 has accordingly been made. The Yuen Long-Sheung Shui and the Shataukok-Fanling Railway Station bus services will he linked up by the former service being extended to Fanling Railway Station. It is proposed to purchase two new motor cars to replace two of the existing Morris 1926 models still in use on Government Service in Kowloon.
Head 27-Defence.
1-Volunteer Defence Corps.
1. An increase in the strength of the Corps has necessitated extra provision for Uniform under Other Charges and also additional equipment, rifles and motor cycles under Special Expenditure. The Bren machine-gun has now been adopted in the Army as standard in place of the Lewis gun, and it is considered essential that two such guns should be provided to maintain the efficiency of the Corps.
2. Provision is made for a new post of Armourer Staff Sergeant. Arms have hitherto been cared for by the Police Armourer when available, an unsatisfactory arrangement which has resulted in considerable expense due to heavy depreciation of arms from lack of attention. It is expected that the new appointment will result in considerable savings under Sub-head 11, Equipment and Upkeep of Arms.
3. The new post of Assistant Storeman is considered necessary in view of the quamity and value of the store maintained.
4. The Causeway Bay stables will be kept up in future by the Public Works Department and the small vote provided for this purpose in former years under this Head is no longer required.
B-Hong Kong Naral Volunteer Force.
1. The total for Other Charges shows an increase mainly due to the provision of rations for Ratings attending drills. The present bounty of fifteen cents per man per drill hardly pays travelling expenses in most cases and it hoped that a An anti- better attendance will result with this provision of rations in addition. cipated increase in the amount of training is reflected in the increase of the sum provided for Expenses of Mine-Sweeping and Exercising.
11
2. It has been necessary to raise the salary for Officer Instructor to £600 in the hope of attracting a suitable candidate. The post is as yet unfilled.
3. It is hoped to attract a better class of seaman by raising the status to Class I on a slightly higher scale of salary as against Class II this year. The small additional expenditure is expected to result in greater efficiency.
D-Air Raid Precautions.
A sum of $50,000 has been provided under this new Head to commence a pro- gramme of Defence measures. No definite allocations from this amount have yet been made.
Head 28-Miscellaneous Services.
1. The contribution from this Government to the Advisory Committee on Education in the Colonies has been increased from £128 to £170. Grants of £174 to the Imperial Agricultural Bureaux and Farnham House and £116 to the Imperial Economic and Imperial Shipping Committees replace the grants of £12 to Farnham House and £250 to the Imperial Economic, Imperial Shipping and Imperial Agricultural Bureaux for this year in accordance with instructions from the Secretary of State consequent on a reorganization of these institutions The net increase in the two grants is £28.
2. The annual subsidy of $15,000 to the War Memorial Nursing Home which has been agreed to by the Legislative Council and was provided by Supplementary Vote in 1987 appears in the Estimates for the first time. The sum provided is the maximum payable. An endowment fund is being raised by the supporters of the Home and Government has agreed to pay each year a sum equivalent to 3% of the cash balance of the fund on the 31st December of the preceding year, subject to a maximum of $16,000.
3. Provision for the Institution of Civil Engineers is not required for 1938 in view of the fact that the particular research which the grant was designed to facilitate has now concluded.
4. A proposal to hold the Pacific Scientific Congress in the Colony in 1938 is at present under consideration, and the Estimates include a sum of $20,000 as a contribution to its expenses by Government, the Finance Committee having approved such a contribution being made in the event of the Congress being held here.
5. The grant to the Broadcasting Committee has been increased to $70.000 to provide for payments in respect of Performing Rights in accordance with the contract concluded early in 1937.
6. Part of the increase in Rent Allowances is due to the condemnation of Queen's Gardens. A large increase in the vote for "Stationery, Prisons Department" is due to the greater volume of printing undertaken by the Printing Department and to increased prices.
Head 29-Charitable Services.
1. The provision for the grant to the Aberdeen Industrial School has been increased in view of the increased number of inmates. The grant consists of a fixed minimum with an addition varying with the number of inmates which is expected to reach its maximum of fifty in 1938.
2. The General Chinese Charities Fund will receive an additional grant of $30,000. The grant has remained at $110,000 since 1932 and of this sum $91,000 is normally allotted to the three Chinese hospitals, the Tung Wah, the Tung Wah Eastern and the Kwong Wah. The number of patients has increased from 434,425 annually in 1932 to 579,523 in 1936, and the income from endowments has decreased. It is considered that an increase of approximately 334 per cent in the grant from Government is justifiable, more particularly as many expensive improvements in equipment and working have been made on the initiative of the Medical Department..
386
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.