PRESENT:―
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27TH JULY, 1905.
reading of a bill entitled:―
HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR, SIR MATTHEW NATHAN, K.C.M.G.
Hon. COLONEL C. H. DARLING, R.E. (General Officer Commanding the Troops).
Hon. Mr. F. H. MAY, C.M.G. (Colonial Secretary). Hon. SIR H. S. BERKELEY, K.C. (Attorney General). Hon. Mr. L. A. M. JOHNSTON (Colonial Treasurer). Hon. Mr. E. A. IRVING (Acting Registrar-General). Hon. Captain. L. A. W. BARNES-LAWRENCE, R.N. (Harbour Master).
Hon. Mr. W. CHATHAM (Director of Public Works). Hon. SIR C. P. CHATER, C.M.G.
Hon. Dr. HO KAI, M.B., C.M., C.M.G.
Hon. Mr. R. SHEWAN.
Hon. Mr. GERSHOM STEWART.
Hon. MR. WEI YUK.
Hon. Mr. C. W. DICKSON.
Mr. A. G. M. FLETCHER (Clerk of Councils).
The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.
NEW MEMBERS.
Colonel C. H. Darling and Mr. E. A. Irving took the cath and assumed their seats as members of the council.
FINANCIAL.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY―I beg to lay on the table financial minutes Nos. 20/23. Two of these were not received in time to circulate with the orders of the day. I beg to move that the four be referred to the finance committee.
The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded. Carried.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY―Sir, I have the honour to bring up report of the finance committee No. 4, and move its adoption.
The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded and the motion was carried.
PAPERS.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY―Sir, I have the honour to lay on the table a minute as to the effect of Government market rents and slaughter house fees upon the retail selling price of beef and mutton. This memorandum was prepared for the information of Hon. members owing to certain comments made in the public press and elsewhere as to the effect of these market rents and slaughter house fees upon the price of food; returns of the subordinate court for the year 1904; Your Excellency's award in the claim of Messrs. Howard and Stephens (this award is the subject of a financial minute which will presently be laid before members); report on the assessment for the year 1905-6.
SUPPLEMENTARY APPROPRIATION BILL.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY―Sir, I beg to move the first
"An Ordinance to authorize the appropriation of a supplementary sum of two hundred and one thousand five hundred and fifty-five dollars and twenty cents, to defray the charges of the year 1904."
The ATTORNEY GENERAL seconded the motion, which was carried.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY―Sir, seeing that the whole of this supplementary provision has been already voted by council from time to time on the financial minutes adopted by the finance committee, it is desired, if no member has any objection, to pursue the second and third readings, when the bill can be dealt with by a committee of the whole council, and so got rid of to-day. I, therefore, beg to move a suspension of the standing orders.
The ATTORNEY GENERAL seconded and the motion was agreed to.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY―I beg now to move the second reading of the bill.
The ATTORNEY GENERAL seconded, and the bill was read a second time.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY―Sir, I beg to move that the bill be referred to the finance committee.
The ATTORNEY GENERAL seconded and the motion was carried.
Council adjourned.
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FINANCE COMMITTEE.
A meeting of the Finance Committee was then held, at which the Colonial Secretary (Hon. Mr. F. H. May) presided.
POLICE AND FIRE BRIGADE EXPENSES.
The Governor recommended the Council to vote a sum of two thousand dollars ($2,000) in aid of the vote Police, Sub-Department―Fire Brigades, other charges, for the item repairs to engines, hose, &c.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY―This is a sum which was really spent at the end of last year, but there was not time to include the amount in the financial year. The excess is due to the long drought and shortage of water.
The vote was agreed to.
MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES.
The Governor recommended the Council to vote a sum of thirty-six thousand and four dollars and thirty-four cents ($36,004.34) in aid of the vote miscellaneous services― other miscellaneous
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services, for award to Messrs. Howard and Stephens:―
Award .................................................................... $35,729.00 Interest thereon from 1st September, 1898, to
SUPPLEMENTARY APPROPRIATION BILL.
The committee next considered this bill.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY―Explanations are contained
1st August, 1905, at 7 percent ....................... 17,294.79 $53,023.79
Deduct amount paid on 29th August,
1903 .............................................. $15,000.00
and
Interest thereon up to 1st August,
1905 .............................................. 2,019.45
17,019.45
Total ....................................... $36,004.34
The COLONIAL SECRETARY―Hon. members have had that award before them, which I think fully explains the expenditure they are now asked to recommend.
Hon. Mr. SHEWAN―Did Messrs. Howard and Stephens accept this as a final settlement?
The COLONIAL SECRETARY―We have not yet offered them the amount, as it has not yet been voted.
Hon. Mr. SHEWAN―I mean whatever was awarded, did they agree to it as being final?
The ATTORNEY GENERAL―They will surely accept this amount. It is open to them to take it or leave it and get nothing.
Hon. Mr. SHEWAN―They will take this no doubt; but will they ask for more?
The COLONIAL SECRETARY―They may, but they are not likely to get any further consideration. I think it will probably be the end of this somewhat troublesome dispute.
The vote was agreed to.
KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY LIABILITIES.
The Governor recommended the Council to vote a sum of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) being the salaries, &c., of surveyors and other liabilities for the Kowloon Canton railway.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY―This item is to provide the necessary expenses for the survey which is at present being conducted in connection with this railway.
Agreed to.
COMPENSATIONS FOR RESUMPTION.
The Governor recommended the Council to vote a sum of thirty-five thousand four hundred and ninety-nine dollars ($35,499) in aid of the vote Public Works Extraordinary, being compensation to the owners of Kowloon Marine Lots Nos. 3, 4, 5 and 6 for resumption of portions of the lots for the purpose of widening Salisbury Road.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY―This widening of the road is to improve communications at Kowloon by giving access to the new ferry pier, and it will be necessary to widen the road throughout to a width of 100 feet.
Agreed to.
in the supplementary estimates. and I hope members will find them sufficiently full. You will see in columns "provisionally voted." That means that those sums were voted during last year by council, and it is now necessary to legalise all those votes by this bill.
Hon. Mr. SHEWAN―There is a big underestimate made in the store account of the public works. Surely it is misleading to say you will only spend $100, and then spend $118,000.
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS―That is simply to have an item on the Estimates to charge stores to. It is not in any sense an estimate of the amount required.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY―The expenditure is really estimated on the cost of the works in hand.
Hon. Mr. SHEWAN―When you estimated you must have known that the cost of works would be more than $100. The COLONIAL SECRETARY―It is merely a matter of accounts. It would not be satisfactory to estimate for $100,000 when we do not know what particular works we are going into.
Hon. Mr. SHEWAN―Curious thing to call it an estimate.
Hon. Mr. STEWART―When will the items about increased cost of postal service come in?
The COLONIAL SECRETARY―They will come in next year with the other supplementary works.
RESUMPTION OF COUNCIL.
There being no further questions Council resumed, His Excellency taking the chair.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY―Sir, I have the honour to report that at a meeting of the Finance Committee just now held. financial minutes Nos. 20/23 were considered by the committee, also several items on the supplementary appropriation bill, and the committee were unanimously agreed to recommend that all the votes be passed. I beg to move that financial minutes 20 to 23 be adopted.
The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded. Carried.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY―I beg to move that the Council resolve itself into a committee of the whole council to take into consideration the Supplementary Appropriation Bill, clause by clause.
The ATTORNEY GENERAL seconded and the motion was carried.
Council then went into committee on the bill, and considered it clause by clause.
On resuming the COLONIAL SECRETARY moved the third reading, and that the bill be passed and become law.
The ATTORNEY GENERAL seconded, and the motion was carried.
Council adjourned sine die.
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