THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 24TH NOVEMBER, 1877. 525
That we leave by itself. I shall not add it to the assets. One or two of the works to which I am about to refer I hope to be able to charge upon it, and therefore we may for all practical purposes regard it as a fair asset, but when I state the available assets to be $1,281,240 I take no account of the special fund.
So far, gentlemen, for my estimate of revenue. Now with respect to expenditure. Some time ago, towards the end of September, I gave to the Finance Committee the trouble of looking over the estimates of expenditure for 1878. It is not usual for a Governor to do so, but this being the first time I had had to prepare the estimates for this Colony, I thought it well to be guided by their greater local experience, and accordingly the estimates came before them. The only minute I made for their guidance was that many applications had come to me for increases of salary, but I did not think it this year desirable to take them into my consideration, and accordingly I had no intention of having any additions made to the establishment charges of the Colony. However, I by no means object to the fact that the Finance Committee have, in a few cases, given trifling advances to some of the subordinate officers of the Colony. There is nothing of such importance under this head that I need call your special attention to it. You have had the details before you since the 5th of September, and I can only say this, that assuming you vote the establishment charges as approved by the Finance Committee, I shall transmit them at the proper time to Lord CARNARVON, but the gentlemen who are recommended for augmentations of salary will understand that no addition to the establishment charges can come into effect until I have received the sanction of the Secretary of State for the Colonies.
A large, but as I have pointed out to you, a reproductive part of the expenditure of the Colony is that which relates to Public Works. This has been before the Finance Committee also, though but recently. In connection with that expenditure, most of the items you are already familiar with, but in dealing with them I have found it necessary to introduce, after consultation with my Council and on the suggestion of the Surveyor General, some items which are new. The maintenance of our Government Gardens and Plantations is, of course, not of itself new, but I think the time has come when the Colony should deal in a more comprehensive manner with the question of tree-planting. Something has undoubtedly been done in the preservation and planting of trees, but a great deal more requires to be done, and amongst the documents submitted to the Finance Committee by me is a very valuable Report, dated 20th August, by the Surveyor General, in which he goes into the question of tree-planting in the Colony. This Report will tell you what has been done, and it contains an estimate as to what would be the consequence of our proceeding at the present rate of planting, and when we may expect to have the Colony properly planted at the present rate. Mr. PRICE's estimate of the number of trees required is, I take it, a very fair estimate. He says we would require over seventeen million of trees, and if our planting operations were continued at their present tortoise speed it would take us eleven hundred years to complete the work. Therefore, the question arises, how can we accomplish the really proper planting of this island within a reasonable time? Well Mr. PRICE, with his usual skill and accuracy, sets that forth, and this important document of his has already been before the Finance Committee. It will be in print and in your hands very soon, and it will be seen that without any great increase of expenditure, we will be able to carry out his project of really properly planting the Colony of Hongkong. Therefore on this occasion I slightly increase the vote for the Public Gardens. It was $6,000 last year; I propose to ask you to vote $8,000 this year, and by that addition of $2,000 a year to be expended on forming nurseries for seedlings and paying a regularly organised staff of tree planters, we shall be able, in a few years, to transform the appearance of this island, and permanently improve its sanitary conditions.
The Secretary of State refers to the question of the Hospital. You are aware that a considerable sum was contemplated for the Civil Hospital. The proposition which Sir ARTHUR KENNEDY made--- and which I think a wise proposal-was that the new Lock Hospital, which is far too large for its present purpose, should be converted into a Civil Hospital, and that a new Lock Hospital, suitable for the same number of patients as there are now, built. That I am prepared to support, and I ask you to support it by voting the sum of $17,000. When that is completed, and I hope it will be completed next year, we will be able to begin the Civil Hospital the following year. I cannot at this moment say what would be our estimates for that next year, but I should say that the cost of the new Civil Hospital would not be more than $40,000.
There is a large vote of $16,000 for Police Station extensions and improvements. Originally, when this was sent in, the sum was much larger, but one learns a good deal from one's neighbours, and during a short visit to Macao of two days, when I was accompanied by my very efficient officer, Mr. CREAGH, the Acting Superintendent of Police, we were struck with the fact that the Government of Macao employed for its water police several steam launches. You are all aware of the fact that robberies have been committed in this harbour by boat-people and the robbers have eluded the water police, simply because they were able to pull their sampans quicker than our police can use their oars. The harbour thieves ought not to have quicker bts than the water police. It is not to be tolerated that a Government like this should not be in possession of the handiest steam launches for police purposes that a reasonable sum of money can procure. Therefore I propose to consider the question of steam launches for the water police, and one result will be this, that it will enable us to reduce our police force. The reduction of the police force will render unnecessary the extensive project that we originally contemplated.
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