Extensive Appropriations for Extraordinary Public Works: Colony Looking Ahead Foose Our Owst Hongkong, Sept. 26.
Of the five votes totalling $73,540] to come before the Finance Commit tee of the Legislative Councit on Thursday, the largest is for anti malarial work. The sum of $7.000 is considered necessary to resume 4 large number of privately owned agricultural Tots in the Shouson Hit istriel,, where anti-malarial works fare to be carried out. The compenation payable to owners is estimated $57,000, Negotiations for. an ex-hange of Jand are proceeding few cases. "These, if brought to com: pletion, will reduce the sum by about, $1,500, The work of draining, ete, when it has been carried out. will" make 9 Jarge number of attractive houses in the Shouson Hill district once more desirable from the point of view of tenants, For the past year oF so, many in this section have been vacfant because of the prevalence of Another vote for $10,000 for maintenance of Praya walls and piers.
Owing to the addition of new works past years, an increased amount maintenance is required to be undertaken. Commitments for such works in hand and expenditure to date amount to approximately $12,000, and] itis estimated that a further sum of $5000 fs required so that the neces~ gary maintenance may be proceeded with until the end of the year.
'Even those who eritizise the Budget must of necessity recognize the fact that, whatever the Stagnation of deve. lopment, itis proposed to" spend $2,209.450 next year on what are termed extraordinary public works addition certain' Jarge special works are to proceed, and substantial undertakings bosun a few years ago must, be continued, Tt is pointed out that many of the! works are for' the administrative machine, while others, though they may be considered necessary, are not of the "popular type"
New Government Hospital single item is another the $8,000,000 for the Civil, Hospital, and tone disputes the wisdom of cutting, off such a large slice from the grand oral of $2,099,450 for these two profects, but to some it does occur that the remaining, $890,450 Is not being put to. "extraordinary" works. Some' are improvements rather than developments, and many had better be made special works, specially, th anced, since they are' reproduetiv. thus relieving the ordinary Budget] and simplifying the Government's ance problem.
But even critics of the Budget a1 rangements have to admit that the list of works to be carried out is a notable one, Not all will add thing new. to the Colony's facilities
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.