CO129-623-8 Estimates of Expenditure- includes a report for the year ending March 1951 1-12-1949 - 31-3-1951 — Page 140

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Heads of expenditure show a reduction as compared with last year. All departmental estimates have been carefully scrutinised, and where they show an increase this is unavoidable. Over 12 per cent of the total expenditure has been devotod directly or indirectly to security measures, and this percentage is sure to be swollen by supplementary votes before the year is ended. The Public Works Non-Recurrent programme contains a number of security measures, but it also represents a very extensive programme of other work, some of which, such as the new Queens College, the Kowloon Firo Station, and the Kai Tak compensation payments, would have been a fair charge on Loan funds if s ufficient balance had boon available.

Personal Emoluments, which cover basic salaries and expatriation pay only, are estimated at $48,702,412 to which must be added a figuro of 31 million provided under the Miscellaneous Services Head in rospect of cost of living allowances. Railway cost of living allowances also amount to a further $720,000. This makes a total of $80,422,412 in rospect of Personal Emoluments of the Government staff. There are, however, two other items of $4,692,000 and $2,300,000 respectively under the Subventions Head in respect of grants to Grant-Aided and Vernacular Schools. Those payments are in respect of teachers' salaries and cost of living allowances, and the scales both of salaries and allowances are linked to those of teachers in Government schools.

Other Charges for 1950/51 excluding Public

Works Extraordinary and Special Expenditure, and also cost of living allowances, total 81,655,470 as compared with the figure of $72,357,096 for the year which is just closing. Special expenditure, excluding Public Works Extraordinary, and work financed from Colonial Development and Welfare Fund grants, totals $9,772,155 as comparod with $11,468,520 for 1949/50.

The temporary departments such as the Custodian of Property and the Department of Supplios and Distribution will still be necessary during the coming year. A further small reduction has been effected in the case of the Custodian's Department, but nothing much further can be achieved in this direction until it proves possible to close down the department altogether. The cost of the Department of Supplios and Distribution shows a small increase due to normal increments, and the fact that it is now staffed by one Cadet Officer Class I and one Cadet Officer Class II, instead of by two Cadet Officers Class II. The possibility of effecting some reduction in the staff of the department during the coming year is being explored, and it is hoped that it will then be possible for the Director of the Department of Commerce and Industry to administer it as well as his own department.

Some progress has been made in fixing suitable post-war establishments for departments, whose work has greatly increased since the war, thus reducing the amount of personnel paid from temporary staff votes. There is, however, quito a long way to go before these votes can be eliminated altogether.

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