Reduction Shown During Last Few Years Has During 1938; More Deaths, Largely Ceased Owing to Exchange Fall Annual Report Reveals estimated expenditure in 1939 of the Public Works Department and of the Parks and Open Spaces was considered at a meeting of the S.M.C. Works Committee on January 31.
Extraordinary Expenditure—The Chairman stated that the Preliminary Estimates as submitted by the Commissioner of Public Works totalled $2,303,100 as compared with $1,351,700 for the corresponding Budget items for 1938. Members would agree that expenditure should be kept down to the absolute minimum.
In reply to the Chairman, the Treasurer and Controller referred te certain questionnaires received from Members prior to the meeting in regard to the estimates and stated that detailed explanations had been furnished on the points raised.
In accordance with the usual procedure, the various items of appropriation under the Budget of Extraordinary Expenditure for the Public Works Department were classified as follows:— io exchange and in other directions had been effected where necessary and the estimates in their present form totalled $4,417,420 an increase of $606,240 or 15.9 per cent. as compared with the relative figures for 1938. The Those to which the Council is committed or which are con-urgent.
to financial and " onades ions.
no appropriation should be made this year.
Bridges—An appropriation of $100 for the reconstruction of Kiangse Road Bridge in reinforced concrete was marked "B".
Bundings.—An appropriation of $70,- 000 under this heading was marked "a", Tt was noted that approximately half of this amount was for balance of cost of work in hand.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.