No. 99.
No. 1906
10
HONGKONG.
REPORT ON THE BLUE BOOK FOR 1905,
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor.
HONGKONG.
GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HONGKONG, 27th April, 1906.
MY LORD,
I have the honour to submit for Your Lordship's information the following general Report on the annual Blue Book for the year 1905.
I.-FINANCES,
The Revenue for the year, exclusive of Land Sales, amounted to $6,526,144.09, or $203,194.74 more than the previous year. Land Sales amounted to $392,259.76, or $93,838.88 less than in 1904. The total revenue from all sources was therefore $6,918,403.85, or $109,355.86 greater than in any previous year, and $280,207.15 less than the estimate. All the main sources of revenue show an excess over 1904 with the exception of Rent of Government Property, Miscellaneous Receipts and Land Sales.
Post Office Receipts, Interest and Water Account brought in together $34,933.55 more than was estimated. The receipts under the remaining heads of revenue were altogether $315,140.70 less than were anticipated when the estimates were drawn up.
The Expenditure for the year was $3,277,834.45 exclusive of Public Works Extra- ordinary; inclusive of that item it was $6,951,275.26, or $575,039.96 more than the total expenditure of 1904 and $223,916.74 less than the estimates for 1905.
Deducting from the actual receipts for 1905 the total actual expenditure, there was a deficit of $32,871.41 on the actual working of the year.
(a.)-GENERAL REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE.
The following is a brief abstract of Revenue and Expenditure for the years 1904 and
1995:--
Revenue.
1904.
1905.
Increase.
Decrease.
$.
C.
$
C.
C.
Light Dues,
Licences and Internal Revenne not other-
72,330.16
74,233.45
1,903.29
wise specified,
Fees of Court, &c.,
Post Office,
4,509,162.78
4,725,906.25
216,743.47
403,854.60
417,417.37
13,562.77
408,458.92
414,838.19
6,879.27
Rent of Government Property,
688,321.41
672,161.82
16, 159.59
Interest,
7,813.43
10,073.12
2,259.69
Miscellaneous,
167,059.66
121,491.65
45,568.01
Water Account,
65,948.39
90,022.24
24,073.85
Land Sales,
486,098.64
392,259.76
93,838.88
Total,.......
6,809,047.99
6,918,403.85
264,922.34
155,566.48
Deduct Decrease,.
155,566.48
Nott Increase,
109,355.36
The Right Honourable
THE EARL OF ELGIN, K.G.,
His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies,
&C.,