17
October 11, 1909.]
HONGKONG
LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL.
A meeting of the Hongkong Legislative Council was held on Oct. 7th in the Council Chamber.
The following were present:-
HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR, SIR FREDERICK JOHN DEALTEY Lugard, K.C.M.G., C.B., D.S.O.
HIS EXCELLENCY MAJOR-GENERAL R. G. BROADWOOD, C.B., A.C.D. (General Officer Commanding).
Hon. Mr. F. H. MAY, .M.G. (Colonial Secretary).
Hon. Mr. W. REES DAVIES (Attorney- General).
Hon. Mr. C.MI. MESSER (Colonial Treasurer). Hon. Mr. P. N. H. JONES (Director of Public Works).
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Government in aid of Military Expenditure, been estimated at the sum of Five million six hundred and twenty-five thousand six and eighty-three Dollars :
Be it enacted by the Governor of Hongkong with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:--
1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Appropriation Ordinance for 1910.
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2. A sum not exceeding Fivo million six hundred and twenty-five thousand six hundred and eighty-three Dollars shall bo and the same is hereby charged upon the revenue and other funds of the Colony for the service of the year 1910 and the said sum expended
so charged may be as hereinafter specified, that is to say:-
Governor,...
EXPENDITURE.
Colonial Secretary's Department and
Legislature,...
Registrar-General's Department. Hon. Mr. A. W.BREWIN (Registrar-General). | Audit Department, Hon. Mr. F. J. BADELEY (Capt. Superinten-Treasury,
dent of Police).
Hon. Dr. Ho Kar, M.B., C.MIG.
Hon. Mr. E. OSBORNE.
Hon. Mr. E. A. HEWETT.
Hon. Mr. MURRAY STEWART,
Hon. Mr. WEI YUK, C.M.G.
Mr. C. CLEMENTI (Clerk of Councils).
MINUTES.
Harbour Master's Department, Observatory,
Miscellaneous Services,
Judicial and Legal Departments, Police and Prison Departaments, Medical Departments, Sanitary Departments,
Botanical and Forestry Department.
The minutes of the last meeting were read Education, and confirmed.
FINANCIAL MINUTES.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY, by command of His Excellency the Governor, laid ou the table Financial Minutes (Nos. 40 and 41), and moved that they be referred to the Finance Committee. The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
PAPERS.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY, by command of His Excellency the Governor, laid on the table the following papers Summary of recom- mendations made by the Retrenchment Com- mittee; Byelaws maile under section 16 of the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance, 1903. Draft Estimates for the year 1910; Financial Statements in connection with the Estimates for 1910; and an abstract showing the differences between the Estimates of Expenditure for 1909
and 1910.
MARKET BYELAWS.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-I beg to move that the approval of this Council be given to the Market Bye Lays under the Public Health and Buildings Ordinances, 1903. These bye- laws have been made by the Sanitary Board.
The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
STANDING COMMITTEES.
HIS EXCELLENCY-I appoint the following Committees for the session 1908-09:-
Finance Committee-All the members of the Council excepting the Governor, the Colonial Secretary to be Chairman.
Law (ommittee -The Captain Superintend- ent of Police, Hon. Dr. Ho Kai, Hon. Mr. Wei Yuk, Hon. Mr. Murray Stewart, the Attorney-General to be Chairman.
Public Works Committee The Colonial Treasurer, Hon. Mr. Osborne, the Director of Public Works to be Chairman.
MALICIOUS DAMAGE ORDINANCE.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the third reading of the Bill entitled an Ordinance to amend the Malicious Damage Ordinance, 1865.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL RELIEF ORDINANCE.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL inoved the third reading of the Bill entitled an Ordinance to relieve the Governor in Council of certain duties.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
THE ESTIMATES. The COLONIAL SECRETARY moved the first reading of a Bill entitled an Ordinance to apply a sum not exceeding Five million six hundred and twenty-five thousand six hundred and eighty-three Dollars to the Public Service of the year 1910.
The Bill was as follows:- Whereas the expenditure required for the service of this Colony for the year 1910 has. apart from the contribution to the Imperial
Military Expenditure,-
Volunteers, Public Works,—
Public Works Department, Public Works, Recurrent, Public Works, Extraordinary, Special Land Resumption, Post Office, Kowloon-Canton Railway, Charge on account of Public Debt, Pensions, Charitable Services,
$84,878
be
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revenne, our estimate is in one or two cases a conservative one, which
may probably exceeded, and, on the other hand, no
sum has been included on account of the contribution promised by the Imperial Government to the loss on opium, since there has been no time to ascertain the intentions of the Home. Government,
THE PROBLEM.
Generally speaking, our problem this year was to raise sufficient revenue, or to decrease ex-. penditure, to meet in the first place the deficit of four lakhs which in the current year was provided by the, so to speak, fortuitous appropri- ation of the Widows' and Orphans' Fund, together with an extra lakh for the difference between the interest paid this year on railway advances, and the amount we are paying for land resumption next year for the railway, with 23 lakhs for opium loss and lakh 68,542 for working expenses of the railway for 45,985 half a year a total of about eight lakhs. Of 28,305 this we get a net five lakhs from liquor 59,597 and one from stamp dues, while the re 229,931 maining two are provided partly by retrench- 22,029 ments in expenditure and partly by anticipated 144,307 increase in the existing sources of revenue. 233.677 1911 we shall probably have an additional six 739,157 lakhs to provide on railway account, and this, I 236,546 hope. will be largely met by the cessation of 358.018 expenditure on the Post Office and Law Courts 50,495 and partly by the increased yield of the liquor 237,459 and stamp dues and by other minor sources of revenne. There is, however, no need to 42,135 anticipate the difficulties of 1911.
Total, $5,625,683
THE REVENUE.
In
333,582 Turning to the Estimates of revenue 427,500 for next year, I will run briefly though 940,820❘ the various heads. Assessed taxes show 374,805 all increase of $38,000, due chiefly to the 444,313 inclusion of new buildings at Quarry Bay, 10,000 the remainder of the assessment remains much 176,206 the same as this year. Chair licences increase 227,940 $8,820. Fines and forfeitures have been under- 19,456 estimated, and it is believed that next year they will increase by $5,500, especially as it may be anticipated that some will accrue owing to the imposition of liquor dues and abolition of divans. Junk licences show a decrease of $2,000, and the Opium Farm let at $1,183,200, shows a decrease of $268,800 on the existing con- tract. Including divan licences the direct loss in 1910 is $225,860. This loss is only half of the amount which I was advised would probably accrue from the closing of the divans, and will be covered by the extra duties on liquor. You will recollect that I stated in regard to this question that the first proposal of raising the liquor licence fees did not provide for the loss on opium, for which, had that proposal been adhered to, additional taxation would have had to be imposed. Pawnbrokers' licences are ex- pected, judging by the experience of this year, to increase by $2,300, prospecting licences decrease by $2,000. I havo made a guess estimate of $600,000 for the product of the new liquor duties, while $60,000 is estimated as the cost of machinery for enforcing them, and licence fees will probably decrease by 31,300, leaving a
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The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded. HIS EXCELLENCY said:--Gentlemen, When I introduced the Estimates last year I pointed out that although we had estimated for an increase in 1909 over 1908 on ordinary revenue of $126,000, due chiefly to increase in certain licence fees, but I remarked that although it show. ed a small increase the revenue estimated for the current year would be $389,000 below the realised revenue of 907 and $568,374 below that of 1906. The papers now laid before you show that some improvement has taken place, and the anticipated ordinary revenue of 1909 will, if realised, exceed that of 1908 by $98,513, and only falls short of 1907 by $309,168 instead of $389,000. This, moreover, takes no account of the new lighor duties collected dur ing the current year, which dare say will add another half lakh at least to our revenue this year. Tho actual ordinary revenue last year was $6,034,849, while it is estimated that the probable amount realised this year, irrespective of liquor duties, will be $6,135,326, which is $79,666 in excess of the estimate. The decrease, however, in land sales under ordinary revenue, which were estimated at $150,000 and will probably yield only $72,80| eliminates this surplus, and leaves the total anticipated revenue for the current year practically identical with the original estimate, an increase of $987 only, to which I have said we may probably have a lakh to accrue from liquor duties.
Poor as the land sales have been this year, they are novetheless better than last year by some $3,800, and if they may be regarded as an index of prosperity it is gratifying to note that they show an upward tendency, however slight. The financial statement shows the estimated balance of assets on December 31 next to be $1,350,108, as against 1,073,041 last year, a satisfactory increase of about, three lakhs. From this large reserve we hope in part to meet the cost of building the new typhoon refuge. Our total estimate of revenue ordinary and extra ordinary for next year stands at $6,908,787 and our expenditure is estimated at $6,951,542, which shows all excess of expenditure of I $42,745. This in the circumstances is justifiable, since I shall explain in reviewing the heads of
I
a
net- increase from taxation of liquor, after a rebate has been made to the military and naval authorities, of $508,700. Stamp duties, owing to the regulation enforc- ing a stamp on receipts over $10 and also to better enforcement, will, it is anticipated, yield an extra lakh. The fees for local registration of companies, judging by the current year, will produce $3,600 more than last year's estimate. The total increase under licences and internal revenue is estimated at $4,660,858, an increase of $497,176 on this year's estimate. Under the third head, there were last year considerable number of over-estimates: Bills of health, $1,100; fees of Court, $3,000; gun- powder depot, $3,000; medical treatment, $1,000; sugar certificates, $1,000, due to certificates being no longer required for Colombo; and sale of vaccine, $2,000, with various other minor items. On the other hand, the fees of pupils, at Queen's College and other schools, is estimated to increase by $18,000, and the fees from the Technical Institute by $850. Against these increases there is some corresponding additional expenditure under the Educational vote. The receipts from water supply are expected to show an additional $30,000, more meters having been instituted. The total vote under this head is $557,675, an in- crease of $32,961 over last year. The Post Office
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