THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 11TH SEPTEMBER, 1880. 69! Fund." I think we should have full particulars given in connection with it. The Central School not mentioned in the estimates, I presume on account of its not being supposed the building will be required next year, or, it may be, a supplementary vote is intended. But I hope there will ot be any great delay in something being undertaken. I am sure the community view, with onsiderable anxiety, the length of time that has elapsed without anything being done to improve the ondition of that school. It is understood to be ill ventilated and unhealthy. I have often heard he sympathy of the community expressed for both the teachers and those taught that no better rovision was made for their comfort. There is no mention in the Estimates, Your Excellency, sith regard to Fire Tanks and provision for the better suppression of fires, in the event of such lisasters as we have had. We have had experience in the past, and I would have liked to see some tatement on the subject of remedial measures; and that brings ine to the larger question of water apply, than which I am not aware of anything more deserving of consideration. There is not an equate supply of water for the growing population of this Colony, and it is most important that there such a vital necessity as water is concerned we should look ahead. Waterworks to be made on adequate scale cannot be quickly constructed. They will take a long period. I am not aware how ng, but I don't think eighteen months or two years would see them completed; consequently, we hould make some step in the way of beginning what is so desirable. I think, too, in considering the edical portion of the estimates, that it would have been of interest if the Colonial Surgeon's report ad been in the hands of the members of Council and also in possession of the public. It has not yet een published. I come now, Sir, to what I call the accumulating surpluses of the Colony. It is very ice to have them, but I for one do not consider it is desirable that taxes should be maintained in order create them. It would be well that taxation should be reduced when the taxation is known to be on firm basis and adequate to provide a revenue to meet the expenditure. Nothing but what is needed hould be withdrawn from the taxpayers. To have a small surplus is very desirable. To have large irplases accumulating for the miserable pittance of five per cent. is not good, as I view it, for the eneral interests of the Colony. The lighter taxation is, the more prosperous are people likely to be. t is well to have moderate surpluses. No one can find fault with them, and I can only hope that ither in water supply or some other useful outlay the large sums we now possess may be invested in ach a manner as to compensate the taxpayers for not having the money in their own pockets instead f in the Treasury.
His EXCELLENCY-Gentlemen, I feel obliged to my honourable friend for having congratulated e Council on what he has been goed enough to describe as the satisfactory state of the colonial finauces. concur with him also in thinking that the revenue of the Colony indicates commercial prosperity. o far, therefore, upon the broad question with which this bill deals, none of us--you who assist me or yself who have the greater responsibility in controlling the expenditure of the Colony---have any cause to mplain of the present position of our finances. With respect to the remarks of my honourable friend ; to the deficit I found here on my arrival in April, 1877, it may, of course, be possible in any Colony here, a deficit is discovered to point to the fact that a portion of the expenditure of the preceding year as laid out on the purchase of something which would actually remain in the Colony. For instance, very large deficit has been discovered in the finances of India, and if we were to be told that a con- derable sum had been laid out on public works, it would be true, but it would be no answer to the atement that in conducting your finances you are to avoid a deficit. Whatever sum you lay out would be met by the revenue of that year; otherwise there is a deficit. My honourable friend referred so to the views I entertain with respect to the question of the sale of land. I am sure, coming from y honourable friend, the views he expressed are well worthy of our consideration. There is no doubt hatever that the sale of land in this Colony ought, apriori, to lead to the building of houses and to an in- case of revenue indirectly, but I should like to ask my honourable friend, whether in the history of Hong- ng it has ever come to pass that land sales have taken place and that large quantities of land have been gchased, and that those large quantities of land have been held by land speculators to this moment built upon.
That which would be of no very great moment in a large Colony is a serious thing in little island like this, and if the Surveyor General were to turn to his books now and find out for us
lots of land purchased both in the East and West ends of this town and remaining idle- rchased, I think, by honourable friends of mine sitting at the table; others purchased by the gentle- who, in the exercise of their own business, have chosen to do so (and they are fully entitled to it-we should see that many lots purchased years ago are lying perfectly idle. When the question raised, how is it that house-rent is so dear, it is not the Governinent that is to blame.
We have very
-some
building sites in this Colony. The land has passed from the Crown into the hands of private lividuals, and I have no power to compel them to build houses on the land. They pay a modicum pnt: they comply with the trust of their deeds; and there, as far as we are concerned, the matter is. If, for public purposes, I require land, I can, under our Ordinances, reclaim it, but I cannot tupel any of these gentlemen to build houses. At the same time, I must again repeat that my Cigurable friend's eminent position as a business man entitles any remarks he makes on this subject the very best consideration of the Council. Now, with respect to the expediture, my honourable nd has pointed out that in the Estimates, as they were submitted to the Finance Committee, and as y are now before the Council, there are several omissions. But before referring to the omissions,-
very important ones they were to which my honourable friend alluded,-I will say a word on the stion of the Time Ball and Observatory. The vote I have taken for that is $10,000. In a despatch
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.