316
THE JUDICIARY AND PÒLICE,
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
I
[October 11, 1909.
will be fully recouped by fees. The total saving|tion account for the whole of 1910 and to effected is $50,884. The Forestry Department shows little change.
EDUCATION.
charge it to open line account from 1st of January, 1911. Pensions do not call for any remarks, as they show an estimated decrease of $3,000. Charitable services is increased by the additional grant to the new Tung Wah Hospital Kowloon, of $2,100.
2.
apathy and indifference are brought against it, and I have thought it fitting to put this other side of the matter before the Council. In this particular matter I think Mr. Law can debate the question with my friend Mr. Shewan. I am There is a small saving on Education. only concerned to demonstrate to the Council Provision is made for the additional master that there is no apathy or indifference at Queen's College in view of the increase on the part of the Government. We are
in school fees, and the small school at I will as usual run briefly through the watching the signs of the times, and aro Aberdeen has been closed as the attendance programme of public works extraordinary ready at any moment to adopt such a course as was insufficient. It had also been decided to for the coming year. For the Law Courts may recommend itself, and meet with the bring Queen's College under the Education we set aside $105,000, and for the Post approval of the merchants and bankers, taking Department whenever Dr. Wright's service Office $230,000, and these sums, I am glad to say, into due consideration the political issues should terminate, and this has now been accom- are the last large votes on these great works. involved, the cost to the taxpayer, and the effectplished. It involves a saving of $900 for ex- Only$75,000 is estimated to be required to com- on trade as a whole, and not merely to one com- amination fees. A further instalment of dual plete both in 1910. (Applause.) Public latrines pany.
desks is provided for at a cost of about $4,000, absorb the same sum as has been devoted to. and 8800 has been set apart for scholarships to this object during the past few years. The of offensive private Queen's College from the district schools. At gradual replacement Saiynipun, Yaumati and Wanchai the purchase latrines and urinals, and the provision of of desks is completed, which saves $2.00. The public conveniencies, if necessary by resump- amounts in grants under the code continuetion of the site required, on which $92,692
of has been spent to the end of 1909, is to increase and reaches the large sum
of sanitation which I regard as $65,000
to examine this propose
ques- measure The Technical thoroughly practical and necessary and of tion during the coming year. Institute has proved to be a most valuable | urgent importance. $32,00), is provided to com- institution. The vote for the lecturing, plete the new market at Kowloon, which is not staff is increased by 2,000. The total educa-only greatly required but will be remunerative in The total cost will be $66,000 aud the tion vote is increased by about $5,320, and it fees. is anticipated that this will be much more! expenditure to 1909 is $34,000. This is largely a refund, as $16,900 will be unexpended this year. thau met by increased school fees.
The delay is due to unexpected difficulty in the foundations and delay of steel work. The neces- Under defence there is the usual 20 per cent.sity for the extension to No. 2 Police Station was described by me last year. I regret that the Director of Public Works has not yet been able to commence the work, but a beginning will be made shortly and the sum shown in the estimate is a re-vote of the remainder. Taipo Land Office requires $2,000 to complete and the steps of the ballroom at Government House show a sum of $1,300. This work will be com- pleted during the current year and the sum. carried forward to next year is the retention money payable after six months of maintenance by the contractors in accordance with the terms of the contract. The extension of the Public Works Department offices will be completed this year at a cost of $2,000 more than the original estimate for it, as it has been found necessary to add a second storey and a covered way in order to accommodate the staff. The matshed in the compound which it has been necessary to put up for part The of the staff has been taken down. staff quarters at Taipo are completed and so is the quarantine station at Laichikok, where $5,282 additional expense had to be incurred-
MILITARY CONTRIBUTION——A COMMISSION OF
INQUIRY.
Reverting to the Estimates, economy in telegrams sent by Government, to the Secretary of State results in a saving of $3,000. The
for vote
the Widows and Orphans' Fund expenses is no longer necessary now that the fund is transferred to Government, but it has been retained for next year to meet the fees of the actuaries who are making the valuation. It appeared last year under Treasury. The transfer has been reduced by $4,00). Under the heading of Judiciary there is a saving of about $2,000 due to new appointments under the Supreme Court, and a new head, as I have already described, is opened under District Officer with transfers from various other departments, the total amounting to $35,524. The net increase in the Judiciary for Military Contribution, which, in consequence amounts to $17,194. With regard to the Police, of the increased revenue we have to raise to reductions have been effected, as in other depart-meet expenses, amounts to a larger sum than last year. The Secretary of State has informed ments, by the creation of a new District Officer.
me that he proposes to appoint a committee to One lance-sergeant has been abolished in the New Territory. The Retrenchment Committee inquire into the incidence of this contribution. recommended two. The Retrenchment Com- I have already expressed to you my own view mittee also recommended the sale of No. 3 that the Colony cannot complain of having to pay only a very little over a quarter the cost of launch, but I have decided to retain her with a 'stoker and seaman in charge to take the place is defence without any contribution to the navy, of other launches when under repair and though I am of opinion that the mode of levying also for use in emergencies. This effects it might he altered so as to better carry out M. practically the same reduction in cost and Chamberlain's object of making it fall less heavily in years of depleted revenue.. Under avoids the necessity of the whole crew of a
the other charges for the Volunteers, consider launch remaining idle while it is under repair.
able reductions have been made with the con- The saving amounts to $9,684. The transfer from
currence of the commandant, amounting to Miscellaneous Services of $24,000, equalisation on exchange on Indian police pensions, however, $5,200. brings the total up to $603,279, and converts a decrease of about $7,000 into an increase of about $17,000. With regard to the Prison, four warders and one chief warder, four assistant warders and seven guards have been dispensed with on the recommendation of the Retrenchment Committee, at a saving of over $9,500.
THE MEDICAL SERVICE.
PUBLIC
WORKS
AND RAILWAYS.
In the | Public Works Department one surveyor senior ex-engineer has been appointed as second assistant in order to cope with the additional work in the office and a new overseer has been created. A land surveyor has been appointed in place of two second grade sur- veyors, and a new scale of pay adopted for these officers involving with incremental rises a total increase of $3,216. The other charge, in the
vote
|
15,782 owing to the bad foundations. of the boundary wall and extra repairs. The extensions to Queen's College are completed. It has not Under the heading of Medical, a new medical
been possible as yet to begin the erection of the officer for the New Territory and Railway is
are increased by $10,800 which is de- market at aberdeen, for which provision was provided from June, 1909, until the railway is ex- ducted from the miscellaneous service vete made this year, but it is hoped that it will be cpeted toopen. Hitherto two-thirds of his salary under public works recurrent and placed under done this year. The same sum as in the current has been borne by railway funds. On the other its proper heads. The vote for drawing materials year, $30,000, is provided for new roads in hand, one assistant medical officer of health at
and survey work is increased by $1,000 to Kowloon. The three chief items included in the Kowloon has been abolished under the Sanitary meet increased work. Under public works programme under this vote are (a) The comple- Department vote. The abolition of the Hygeia, recurrent the miscellaneous service vote of tion of Argyle Street, which will form the main to which I shall allude later, effects a saving of $11.00 disappears, $6,800 is included for thoroughfare between the new railway station some $5,500, including the temporary staff at cemeteries taken from the Sanitary department, at Yaumati and the seafront and to the villages Kennedy Town Hospital. The Other Charges the total being thus a decrease of $5,500 of Yaumati and Mongkoktsui. A small portion votes, which have had a tendency to increase Under charges on account of public debt, you of this work is debited to the railway, the amount each year and are not fully expended, have
will find that whereas $276,890 was provided to be paid from revenue being $9,265, which, been reduced, as you will see, in many cases,
last year for interest on railway advances, together with $21,152, makes a total of $3,417. under the heads, incidental expenses, medicines no sum is provided this year. It is the usual (b) A sum of $6,000 is charged to this vote for and appliances, and especially provisions for custom to charge interest on capital during the completion of the nullah in Waterloo Road. patients. The post of assistant bacteriologist construction to capital account, and I have (c) $12,000 is to be devoted to the prolongation has beep abolished and a Chinese licentiate obtained the sanction of the Secretary of State of Nathan Road, including cutting a hill, the substituted. The total medical voto is decreased to do so. $482,921 will have been paid out soil from which is required for reclamation, by $11,650. In the Sanitary Department the
of revenue during the present and past two under which vote the balance of cost will be principle clerk has been abolished, and the Sec-
years on this account For the next four debited. New roads in the New Territory are retary, whose former duties are now largely years it is estimated at $330,000. This will add retained at 25,000, which will be devoted almost performed by the Head of the Department, is eight lakhs to the railway cost. the repayment exclusively to the prolongation of the Castle placed on a lower rate of pay, a saving of about of which will, under the operation of a sinking Peak Road, and we hope to carry it on to com- $600. The second assistant medical officer of fund, be spread over a long term of years in-plete the eight miles in 1910. Four and a half health, the remaining sanitary surveyor and stead of falling in its entirety up on the Colony and three inspectors are abolished, leaving now! You are aware that the line is expect 24 and one storekeeper, 10 artisans, 3 boatmen, ed to open for traffic on July ist, and it 1 market overseer, and some minor staff, would therefore seem proper to charge only half effecting a total saving of $26,800. the interest on capital to construction account, The other chargés in the vote have also been The line will, however, only be opened by utilis considerably decreased, two large items amounting the contracter's overland" loop line, and ing to $6,800 being transferred to the Public as Messrs. Leigh and Orange's contract will Works revenue and the amount provided for not be completed during the year, a very integ coolie labour. Disinfectants, incandescent light, ral part of the construction will still be paint, and rent, amount in all to about $13,200.proceeding until or beyond the end of nox The opening of Mataukok slaughter-houses, on year. I think that it is legitimate to the other hand, involved some extra stuff, which charge interest on capital and construct
over
miles will be completed on the new system I described in a former Budget speech, namely, the road is six feet broad in banks and eight feet in cuttings. The bridges are, however, made to the full eventual width of fourteen feet and the land resumed is sufficient to be eventually extended to this breadth. By this means the initial cost is reduced to about $6,000 per mile, including resumption. I consider this main trunk road through the New Territory as a work of the first importance, both for the pur poses of facilitating trade and also for police control; since the road was made from Castle
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