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control of the Accountant-General. Such portion of the Supplies and Distribution Department as is still necessary under present conditions has been absorbed into the Department of Commerce and Industry. The Supplies and Distribution Department therefore no longer appears as a separate Head of the Estimates, and in the process of amalgamation it proved possible to effect very considerable economies in staff.
22.
It will be recollected that it was decided early in 1950 to group the Agricultural, Fisheries, Forestry and Gardens Departments under the control of a technical officer who might be drawn from any of these departments, but who would in the first instance be the Senior Agricultural Officer. This re-organisation did not receive your approval before the presentation of the 1950/51 estimates to Council, and it was accordingly carried out by administrative action during the year. The amalgamation has worked very satisfactorily and this year the staff of these Departments is grouped under one Head entitled Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Department. The total shown in the current estimates of $1,834,967 compares with the figure of $1,671,493 which was the sum of the cost of the separate departments in 1950/51. There is therefore an increase of some $160,000 of which approximately $100,000 will be off-set by revenue, as the Department will in future supply vaccines, fertilisers, seeds, etc., to farmers on repayment. The establishment of new agricultural stations in the New Territories has been responsible for an increase in the vote for casual labour and the continuation of the pilot scheme for the manufacture of compost has been provided for under Special Expenditure.
23.
In regard to Education, the estimates provide for the creation of a new post of Deputy Director, as it is felt that the Director should be relieved of more routine work so that he can devote more of this time to matters of policy. A large increase has also been provided for under lecturers' allowances. This is in connection with evening classes which have been started in higher Chinese studies, and which it is hoped will eventually be self-supporting from receipts from fees.
24.
When the five-year capital works programme was being drawn up, the development plans of the Education Denartment had not been completed, so provision was tentatively made in the programme for an expenditure of $1 million a year on new school buildings. The present Director considers that the first priority should be the erection of a teachers' training college, and the bulk of the funds allocated for the present year will be devoted to this purpose. This is important, because in the past it has been possible to recruit trained teachers from China, but this is open to obvious objections in the future. It is interesting to note that Mr. N.G. Fisher, who visited Hong Kong towards the end of last year, and has recently submitted a very interesting report, also stressed very strongly the desirability of establishing a teachers' training college. The fact that the bulk of the capital expenditure this year will be devoted to the training of teachers does not mean that nothing will he done to increase the number of places available in existing schools. Provision is in fact being made for the admission of 500 additional children and for the schools to be inspected at more frequent intervals.
25.
Under the Subventions Head, nearly $12 million is
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