305471-1941-Minutes-No-13 — Page 5

THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, SEPTEMBER 19, 1941. 1391

not the concern of the Board if those prices are beyond the means of a section of the population; and indeed they would be acting beyond their instructions were they to take that issue into consideration. That is a matter for the Board's employer, the Government. If in the opinion of Government it is necessary to subsidize the food supplies of a part or the whole of the community the right way of doing so would be to vote revenue for the purpose.

8. Criticism of the Board on the score of the sale-prices set by it is justi- flable only if for reasons within the Board's control the Board's costs are higher than is necessary. On that point Government is satisfied not only that the Board's sale-prices are in no way excessive but also that they are considerably lower than would be the case were rice importation in these abnormal times to be in private hands.

7. The Ilonourable Mr. LI TSE-FONG, pursuant to notice, asked the following

question:-

With regard to the new Grant and Subsidy Codes for schools which have been recently approved by the Secretary of State, will Government take steps to make the necessary financial provisions to bring them into effect from 1st September, 1941 ?

The Financial Secretary replied as follows:--

Consequent upon the receipt of the Secretary of State's general approval of the new Grant and Subsidy Codes, which was telegraphed on 25th June, 1941, the Board of Education has already on the 18th of July recommended action on the lines of the Honourable Member's present question.

As regards the Subsidies for Vernacular Schools this presents no difficulty as the appropriate financial provision has been made in the current Estimates and this has already received the Government's approval. The question of Grants-in-Aid is a less simple one. As far as can be estimated at present the implementation of the new Code as from 1st September, 1941, will involve a Supplementary Vote of considerably more than $400,000 and the Government cannot assume at the present stage the concurrence of the Finance Committee of this Council for such an expenditure and cannot therefore give an affirmative reply to the Honourable Member's question in this respect. The matter will, however, be further examined without delay.

MOTIONS.

8. The Attorney General addressed the Council and moved :-

That the amendment made by the Urban Council under section 5 of the Public Health (Food) Ordinance, 1935, on the 2nd day of July, 1941, to the by-laws under the heading "Slaughter-houses" and sub-heading "General" contained in the Schedule to that Ordinance be approved. That the amendments made by the Urban Council under section 5 of the Public Health (Food) Ordinance, 1935, on the 15th day of July, 1941, to the by-laws under the heading "Restaurants, Eating Houses and Food Stalls" contained in the Schedule to that Ordinance be approved.

The Colonial Secretary seconded.

Question-put and agreed to.

9. The Honourable Mr. Lo MAN-KAM, C.B.E., addressed the Council and moved the

following resolution:-

That, in the opinion of this Council, in view of the great importance of the Hawker question in relation to the hawkers themselves as well as to

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