314
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
to has cansed the transfer of referred certain duties to other departments, with consequential decrease here. There are some minor retrenchments. which you will see in the summary of the Retrenchment Committee report laid on the table.
⚫is estimated to yield an additional $52,000 due to increased business, and to this must be added $27,000, which the Imperial Government has promised, being half the estimated loss on the Postal Agencies, to which I shall refer in discussing the Postal, vote. The estimate under rents of Government property shows a considerable increase, buildings, $1,700'; en- croachments, $4,000; leases in the Old Territory, $2,000 (due to the completion of Kowloon market); and piers $1,500, while quarries alone show a decrease of $1,500, as one lease expires in the coming year. The total increase on last year's estimate under this head is $9,320. Under Miscellaneous Re- ceipts the conservancy contract is less by $8,776 than heretofore, and a decrease of another $1,000 is expected under miscellaneous receipts. The total ordinary revenue for 1910 is estimated at $6,629,297, as against an anticipated sum of $6,133,362 in the current year, and an actual realised revenue of $6,034,849 in 1908. Under extraordinary revenue, land sales, estimat- ed this year at $150,000, only realised $69,358 in 1908, and are only expected to realise $72,800 this year.
The estimate for next year is therefore decreased to $100,000. The Widows' and Orphans' Fund does not, of course, reappear as a credit, and we have to find the $371,500 from other sources, as I have explained. The con- tributions are increased from $4.800 to $42,500. Special light dues were over-estimated this year by $3,000. There are two new heads of extraordinary revenue, namely, the contribution promised by the Imperial Government of half the loss оп the postal agencies, estimated at $27,000, to which I have just alluded, and the receipts from a half-year's working of the Kowloon-Canton Railway put at $20,000. The total ordinary and extraordinary revenue estimated for next year stands at $6,908,797, as against $6,708,996 for the current year, which included 33 lakhs for the Widows' and Orphans' Fand last year-an increase of about two lakhs for the current year in addition to this three and a quarter lakhs.
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EXPENDITURE.
to
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THE DUMPING OF DEAD BODIES. The amendment of the Public Health and Buildings Ordinanco last your was also designed relax the stringency of the law in certain directions where it seemed possible to do so without actual danger to the community, by the light of the new knowledge regarding the dissemination of plagde resulting from the researches of the Indian Plague Commission. The substitution of methods less onerous to property owners and involving less interference with domestic privacy in the matter of disinfectants, etc., have already, I hope, resulted in a con- siderable restoration of confidence. (Applause.) These measures, together with the formation of Street Committees and Dispensaries, have effected a decrease in "dumping" which has been most marked.. With reference to the Registrar-General's department, I spoke last year of the institution of Street Committees in connection with the new Dispensaries, and I expressed the hope that by enlisting the co- operation of the Chinese we should put an end to the disgraceful and barbarous practice of abandoning corpses in the street and harbour. The number so abandoned in 1906 was 1,447. In 1907 it fell to 1,273, the decrease having taken place entirely in the last few months when the new system began. This fell to 989 in 1908 and up to the end of September this year the number is only 261, or an average of 3.48 for the year. I heartily congratulate the Registrar-General, the department and the Chinese who have assisted in this result.
The audit expenditure is increased by $894 for the railway work for the last half of the year, and by $1,040 charged by the outroller and Auditor-General for pension liabilities of auditors. You will see from the summary of the Retrenchment Committee's report that there are some matters of importance in con- nection with this department, regarding which I am in correspondence with the Secretary of State.
THE NEW TERRITORY.
[October 11, 1949.
heads of estimates there; the same officer appeared under différent designations. There are also a few minor reductions amounting to nearly $1,200.
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POSTAL REVENUE AND THE POSTAL AGENCIES QUESTION. The Hongkong Post Office saving of $3,000, chiefly accounted for by the commission on money abolition of the entry orders, $2,500," which is now deducted from receipts. You will see also in the summary of the Retrenchment Committee report that a saving of $2,000 is anticipated at once, and $8,000 eventually by the abolition of overtime allow. ance except on Sundays and holidays. This recommendation is based on the fact that “the salaries of the clerks have been largely in- creased and graded under the system which has been applied to the whole clerical service," and also that" long hours on one day are compensated for by short hours at other times." The change, of course, only applies to officers appointed sub- sequent to this ruling.
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With regard to the Postal Agencies, I am glad to be able to inform the Council that as a result of my strong representations to the Secretary of State, the Imperial Government,
responsibilities in recognising their matter, has undertaken to bear half the net loss accruing from the conduct of the postal agencies in China. Weihaiwei will pay whatever it costs to conduct its Post Office. His Majesty's Government suggested that those agencies which show a loss should be required to contribute, and I have accordingly caused a letter to be written to each of them informing them of the terms of the telegram from the Secretary of State, and inviting them to bear a half of the remaining deficit or a I am still in corres- quarter of the whole loss. pondence on this subject, and the matter could not be settled in time for precise adjustment in the Estimates before you, owing to the long delay of nearly eighteen months before I received a definite reply to my representations to the Home authorities. The present arrangement is provisional for one year only, and the Postmaster- Turning to the Estimates of Expenditure
General anticipates that the loss on these in 1910, I will perform my usual task of
agencies will decrease owing to the increased rail- running rapidly through the Estimates for
way facilities to the port of Dalny, which will decrease the transport charges. The agencies the various departments in order to call your attention to changes of any particular in-
began to show a loss in 1908, in which year,
military contribution terest or importance.
Under Treasury, I will invite your attention including the Under Governor a
it amounted to $53,172, decrease of 82,000 is effected in the furniture to the new department under the head gross receipts, vote. In the Secretariat the absorption of | Judiciary. The District Officer in the New of which Shanghai accounted for $39,485. passed cadets, owing to vacancies and promo-Territory has hitherto been primarily a police For the coming year the loss is estimated or, with- tions and their replacement by unpassed cadets, officer, and his staff has been shown partly under at $53,760 (Shanghai $40,440, involves a saving of $4,000. In the Registrar- Police and partly under Treasury, partly under out military contribution, $27,200). I have been General's department some considerable changes Magistracy and partly under Land Office. He is moving in this matter, as you are aware from have been effected during the present year. now recognised primarily as an administrative my statements on the Budgets of the last two The issuing of various licences and other officer, and he will in future combine the duties years, ever since I have been in the Colony, matters of that kind have been transferred to the of Police Officer and Magistrate, of Treasury and I am glad to have succeeded in inducing the Treasury to recognise the responsi- Captain Superintendent of Police, the Sanitary Officer and Land Officer, being assisted by an Department, etc., with the object of confining Assistant District Officer, who will equally bility of the Imperial Government in this the Registrar-General's work as much as possible undertake these duties and be available to matter-a responsibility which was fully to that covered by the title "Protector of replace his senior during his absence at any admitted by Lord lgin. They are pledged Chinese" in the Straits Settlements. This, as time with full knowledge of each department of to meet half the net loss, and I am in hopes you are aware, has been effected by an work. Each officer then touring a separate part that I shall succeed in covering the remaining Ordinance lately passed by this Council, while a of the Territories will thus be able to do the whole. loss partly by contributions from the British second Ordinance, 4 of 1908, amending the of the work in the district without the over-communities concerned, or alternatively by Immigration Ordinance, has thrown upon the lapping and duplication hitherto unavoidable, raising the postal rates. I have observed that department a large amount of additional work Ignorant villagers cannot readily understand fine a paraphrase of the letter aldressed to Shang- in connection with the better supervision of sub-divisions of duties of officers, and are puzzled hai on the subject has appeared in the local what are now termed "assisted emigrants." to know why the Assistant Land Officer who Press, and I would say in this connection that I regard this as a most important and valuable settles all matters in relation to their land should it appears to me that it is not the Municipal reform, with which I am glad to have been be unable to receive the Crown rent due upon Council of that Settlement, which represents a associated. Since the nature of the change is it, and so on. The officer hitherto holding cosmopolitan community, but the British mer-
Assistant Land Officer now familar to you I need not enter into details the title of
chants who should defray the cost of the British now. You will remember that in order to meet becomes Assistant District Officer and both agency, and I cannot believe that a wealthy placa the increase of staff rendered necessary by this officers are vested with full and identical powers such as Shanghai will rest change, we last year increased the medical fees in regard to each of the functions they per- Hongkong should pay for its postal facilities a loss which is estimated this year for emigrants and provided a sum of $1,200 as form. My long experience in dealing with at allowances to two passed cadets assisting in primitive people leads me to believe that this at $40,44, including the military contribution, migration work. This scheme has proved un- change will tend to efficiency, and I am sure it which, of course, we cannot expect them to pay. I had also asked that the gross receipts satisfactory, partly as no passed cadet was avail- will be greatly appreciated by the people, who able, and partly because the combination of the need no longer travel big distances to lay from the Postal Agencies should be exempt from duties of Assistant Land Officer and Assistant certain matters before another officer while one payment of the 20 per cent, military contribu Registrar-General was not found to be com- is actually in their district. It is appreciated tion, which should only be levied on the net patible with the efficient discharge of the duties by the officers themselves who are charged profit, if in the future any profits are ever of either post. In the coming year a new second with these duties, and who in the past could made. The Secretary of State supported my Assistant Registrar-General has been appoint- hardly have satisfactorily discharge them had view, but he now informs me that he is appoint-
the official ed. The department has thus been con- they each held rigorously to
ing a Commission to inquire into the whole own duties. So far as siderably strengthened both by an increase limitation of their
question of the military ntribution; so the of staff and a decrease of extraneous work, and the Estimates are concerned, you can now question remains in abeyance. If during this will undoubtedly be able to deal more effectively see a glance what the cost of the coming year a satisfactory arrangement by with the many matters in relation to the Chinese administration in the New Territory is, in which Hongkong shall be entirely relieved of population, which are its proper province. stead of attempting the difficult task of com- all loss on this account is not arrived at, it The elimination of the duties I have puting it from some four or more different will be open to this Government to decline to
at
content that
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