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HONGKONG.
No. 16
1917
CORRESPONDENCE RELATING TO THE RATING (SPECIAL WAR RATE) ORDINANCE, 1917.
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor, 4th October, 1917.
No. 222.
GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HONGKONG, 29th June, 1917.
Governor to
SIR,--- With reference to the telegraphic correspondence in Code noted in Secretary of the margin, I have the honour to transmit for the signification of His Majesty's April, 1917. pleasure the enclosed Ordinance intituled:
State 30th
Secretary of
State to
Governor 4th
May, 1917.
Enclosure 2.
Hunsurd of 25th May and 7th
"An Ordinance to provide for a temporary increase in the rates for the special purpose of increasing the contributions of the Colony to His Majesty's Government towards the expenses of the present
war."
2. The full report by the Attorney General, which is attached, explains the provisions of the Ordinance and the difficulty in exempting altogether the poorer classes of Chinese occupiers from its incidence. I would draw attention to the facts that revenue collected under the Ordinance will not be liable to Military Contribution, and that persons in the service of the Naval and Military Authorities who pay income tax on their official salaries will be allowed a refund of the war rate to the extent of the income tax.
3. I enclose also the Hansard report of the remarks I made on the first reading of the Bill and of the debate on the second reading and I would June, 1917. specially notice the generous offer of Sir Robert Ho Tung to discharge himself the war rate imposed upon occupiers of his property the large majority of whom are Chinese of the poorer class. This generous example has been followed by another Chinese landlord, Mr. Tong Lai-chun. The Bill passed without a dis- sentient voice. The tax is estimated to produce $1,000,000 per annum from the 1st July.
I have, &c.,
The Right Honourable
WALTER LONG, M.P.,
&c.
&c.,
de.,
F. H. MAY,
Governor, de.