Council for the year 1877 contemplated an income of Tls. 79,680 and an outlay of Tls. 124,086; there being in band an aecamulaied surplus of Tis 43,316, which nearly equalised the available fands and the contemplated expenditure. The actual revenue has been Tls. 84,366—an increase derived principally from the tax on Chinese houses, Jinrikeha Licenses, and the native Cleansing and Lighting tax; while the actual expenditure was only "Pls, 119,325; so that the year closes with a surplus of Tls. 8,358. The pablic works upon which the large accumulated surplus has been expended, had figured in more than one previous Budget, but their execution bad for some reason or other been deferred until time and opportunity for the purpose were found during the year just elapsed. These works are the enlargement of the various Municipal offices and quarters for the different officials, the erection of a house for the Surveyor of Works, and of Stables; the construction of abutments for two bridges over the Yang-king-pang; and the extension of the Bund in accordance with the line adopted by the two Councils, These works absorbed a sum of Tis.
19,196. An extraordinary outlay of Tls. 11,947 was also incurred in the purchase and partial reconstruction of the East and West Police Station:
At the expiry of the louse of the former building, the Counci) found themselves able to purchase the property at a reasonable price, and very wisely decided to do so; while the increase of the Chinese population in the Western portion of the Concession necessitated the establishment of anew Police Station, for which it was also deemed politic—in view of the growing price of Jand—to buy rather than lease accommodation. The metalling and repairs of streets, the bunding of creeks, &c., have cost Tls. 15,414; completing an aggregate of Tls. 46,557 expended during the past year upon public works, besides Tls. 1,125 spent in buying a strip of land to improve the course of roads. The accounts for 1877 offer no other leading features of interest, the various items having varied only slightly from those of previous years.
The estimated expenditure for the year 1978 also reaches the high figure of Ins. 106,498, being again swollen by an estimate of Tis, $1,391 for public works, and an increase.of Ts. 3,920 on the cost of Police. To meet these charges the Council have considerably increased the land tax by raising the assessed rate more nearly to the real value, and by doubling the Foreign House tax. They thus attain to a revenue of Tls. 98,140—swollen by the surplus of Tls. 8,358 from the past year to an available total of Tls. 106,498, which exactly balances the proposed outlay. The chief pablic works which figure in the new Budget are the bunding of the Hwangpoo now in process, the cleansing of the Yang-king-pang, and the much needed repairs to the Sikaway road which are at last in fair course of execution, The increased outlay upon Police, which forms the other salient feature of the Budget, is due to the increase of pay voted in March last year, and to an increase of staff necessitated by the erection, before referred to, of a new station in the West Quarter of the Settlement. The Budget is a liberal or: considering the small area over which the French Settlement extends; but it must be remembered that this covers a densely populated quarter, and that it includes & popula. tion requiring decidedly more police supervision than the districts on the north of the Yang-king-pang. It is in close proximity to the junk anchorage, and consequently to a large boating population; it contains theatres and other houses of entertainment which require considerable police attention, and it is more liable to visits from the less reputable inhabitants of the city than are we beyond the line of the Yang-king-pang. The public works, too, which have been executed during the past and are contemplated during the present year, are very much in the nature of improvements which will not appear as a recurring charge, One source of expenditure is indicated which may prove seriously elastic, but we would fain hope that a better appreciation of the conditions of the Hwangpoo will prevent the complete extension of the Bund to the limit defined in the accepted plan, The small extension near the mouth of the Yang-king-pang, which is now in progress, is not a material eueronchment, and only extends the right bank of that fragrant stream to uneven line with the English Bund. But to further reduce the width of the rapidly narrowing channel by extending the bund to the outside limit of the ON. Co's wharves, would be to pursue a policy of which all past experience has shown the danger and harm. To bund out the Hwaugpoo is like bunding out a pond. Here is no strong current, having force sufficient to clear a way for itself on the East if it is choked on the West, but a sluggish muddy water. course of which every encroachment diminishes the capacity. The urgent need for dredging, to repair the harm which has been done and to prevent further deterioration, has been so often urged in vain that we almost despair of seeing the necessary work begun, But it would be at least discreet to refrain from helping the work of ruin, by narrowing still farther a channel on which the great prosperity of the French Settlement entirely depends.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.