Capital Expenditure Reduced by $184,600; Western District Market Shelved; Japanese to Buy Abattoir IHE estimates for 1940 of the Public Health Department were considered at a meeting of the Health Committee on February 16. After detailed examination of each proposed appropriation of capital expenditure of the Health Department, a deduction of $184,600 from the preliminary estimate of $212,800 was effected.
Items regarded as urgent and which creased scales of high cost of living were included comprise:—$1,500 for allowances it had been necessary to spring taps in the bathrooms and authorize since the Budget for 1939 lavatories at the Victoria Nurses was approved and the enhanced cost Home—to effect economy in the con-of commodities and utility services sumption of water. $8,100, balance due to the fall in exchange. The of cost of tiling at the Abattoir position was also affected by the fact Slaughter halls—completion of work that no extraneous revenues—such as started in 1938 and continued in 1939. transfers from rice account—were $1,200 for blood dryer agitator blades available this year in relief of the at the Disposal Plant. $3,600 for ordinary budget. hydrants at Hongkew Market, to effect Stock and Stores—The Commis-economy in water consumption. $1,100 sioner of Public Health had agreed for waterproofing the boiler room at to reduce his original requirements by the temporary Isolation Hospital for $11,650 and his revised estimates were Chinese, Pakhoi Road. $500 for re-summarized hereunder:—constructing the roof of the tem-Hospital Fittings, Furniture and porary mortuary at Yenping Road.
Apparatus ut Pathological Laboratory Fittings, $1,800 for installing a metal chute door and lining for disposal of refuse t Mohawk Market. $2,000.for drainage ahd footpaths in Bubbling Well Cemetery; this work will provide about 280 new grave spaces. $5,000 for similar work at Hungjao Road "With regard' to the reduction of Cemetery, which will provide about $10,000 in the item relating to the 300 grave spaces. $3400 for minor purchase of 4 second-hand motor cars, works, the Treasurer felt that consideration Included in the items of extraordin-should be given to the total eliminaditure for which it was detion of this appropriation as there conceivably may be reserve vehicles at the disposal of the Commissioner approximate to full the locomotion requirements two mow of land required for a market of his department for 1940. If no in the Western District; $89,000, to spare vehicles were available, he sug-purchase additional land for Hungjao gested that the possibility of a further Cemetery; $7400, for boundary fences re-distribution of locomotion needs be and new céfherit pathways at Hungjao explored, in view of the prevailing Cemetery; $3,000, to provide quarters financial stringency which called for and coffin shed at the cremation site the utmost economy in the purchase on Road or ori ari alternative of equipment at this time. site; and $6,000, for minor works.
Conelusion—Subject to the question of the elimination of the appro-T Ordinary Expénditüre priation for motor cars ündér stock A summary of the Commissioner of and stores, and assuming that the re-Public Health's initial requirements maining proposals and adjustments as set forth in his preliminary previously recommended mc* with the estimates is as follows:—approval of members, the final posi-Prelim. tion to be considered was an increase Esti.
Budget omp.|of 28.31 per cent. in the Amended 1940 General' 135180 121,000 Hospitals 905,800.
'601,400
2,721,980 1,853,150 Stock & Stores ' 60,270 36500
Totals 2,782,250 other at Sinza Had.
In view of the prevailing financial stringency and the consequent need for economy and retrenchment, the Commissioner of Public Health was requested to review his preliminary estimates and he had submitted a report wherein he dealt at length with the revisions he contemplated. The revisions indicated that it had been decided to close the temporary hospital at Sinza Road and confine the activities of the Isolation Hospital for Chinese témpordrily to the Pakhoi Road premises, The Sinza Road premises will remain available for use in the event of a sudden epidemic. By the closure of this hospital and by other retrenchment measures now proposed, the Commissioner had reduced the working strength of nurses from 34 to 26 and eliminated one housekeeper. These measures had necessitated a redistribution of the pay and sundry expenses of nursing staff allocations to hospitals and the numerous amendments, involving a net reduction in departmental expenditure of $16,590 ie $45,850 less $29260, had been incorporated in the adjusted estimates.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.