The
BUDGET DEBATE
(Continued from Page 11)
(1) To Increase the existing rates under
the present War Revenue Ordin
ance,
[1] To amend the present War Revenue
Ordinance.
(3) To impose a "proper" Inconte Tax, I do not intend to deal with these suggestions to-day but I wish to state that, as far As revenue is concerned, The operation of the War Revenue Or- dinance appears to be highly satisfne- Lory.
Tax Yields
sure.
for
An Assurance
When this measure of Immigration control was brought before this council consideration last November, the Government assured us that "the_Im-sumption. migration Department is to be admin- passengers istered in the Interest of and all shipping generally and not to cause any obstruction or inconventence that can be possibly avoided.” In spite of this assurance there have been many compladats against the administration of this department From the general have been public these complaints. mainly directed against the dimeulty in obtaining the necessary forms, the unusual delay in issuing certificates and the Insistence that photographs must
Page 13 THE CHINA MAIL, FEBRUARY 20, 1941. ·
some sort of restriction on the ever normal rise in the price of this com- reply by thanking the senior Un-1 should have recourse to this bal- growing population is. at the present modity at the end of 1940. While I re-official Members, European and ance to finance war expenditure ume, desirable, I presume that it was cognise that such measures have, to a Chinese tor their generous re next year, and he adds the inter- on economic grounds that Government | certain extent, met with some success, had been advised to Introduce this med.I feel that Government should now remarks 1cgarding myself and ex-esting theoretical argument that a a medieval survival view the whole situation carefully with press my gratitude to all Mem- balance is
for which a modern state has no need the object to secure an effective control bers of Finance Committee
while I have to keep. It may be possible in a over the rice stock in the colony bath their cooperation
dispense in regard to quality as well as quantity, been Financial Secretary. I would totalitarian economy to There has been a report that some of add parenthetically for the in-with a balance as it is possible to the stocks are of such a pour quality formation of the Honourable Mr. dispense with normal backing for that they are not fit for human con- M. K. Lo that the point he rais-currency, but this Colony does not ed in connection with the War possess a self-contained economy Firewood Ramp Revenue Ordinance regarding and is largely an entrepot for Chinese partnerships has already China and its prosperity depends been taken up by me with the to a large extent, I submit, on the soundness and orthodoxy of its Commissioner of War Taxation.
Sir, I shall confine myself to the finances and the confidence they financial aspects of certain criti-inspire both locally and in China. cism which has to-day been made 1. stated at the last meeting that by the Honourable Unofficial our real balance was about 7 mil- Members. That criticism has been Ilon dollars, I exaggerated. The directed mainly, not to
the de- reserve balance of this Colony as informed Honourable tails of the estimates of expendi- I have
occasion ture as now presented, but to the Members on a previous picture of the revenue position, and is impressed with a trust in
contribu- to the proposals to improve it. I far as the compulsory have never viewed the expendi- tions of Government officers to the ture programine as ideal, but I Widows' and Orphans' Pensions submit it is necessary. It omits Scheme have been paid to re- No venue and no fund has been es- many items highly desirable.
meet the outgoings one who has not attended meet- | tablished to Before I resume my seat 1 wish to say how regrettable it is that we haveings of the Estimates Committee, which Government has undertak-
with departmental en to pay. found it necessary to cut down a good which deals deal
Public Works Extraordinary schemes, can realise how many are not so much as a desire to balance the these omissions and how great the budget but as GA
sacrifices made. I think there is general agreement as to the de- tails now included.
I gather from the Financial Secretary that he is quite satisfied with the yield of the Property-tax, the Salaries Tax and the Corporation Tax Indeed Cor poration Tax alone is expected to bring in no less than $3.500.000 against an
|
From
be taken by "approved" firms. estimated return of $6,000,000 from the the shipping concerns they have been four taxes imposed by the War Re-, connected with the undue delay in the venue Ordinance. As far as 1 can see examination of passengers' papers and the Financial Secretary's main disap the absence of posting immigration pointment is in connection with the officers on board ships to facilitate such sonalines in the return of the Profitexamination The Chinese meinber on
produce a the Tax, which is expected to
my Executive Council as well as revenue tal $900,000 only. It should
two Chinese colleagues on this council however, be remembered that the War
And I have found it
to ad- necessary only been in Revenue Ordinance has
dress
10 the joint communication { operation for less than a year
and | Honourable the Colonial Secretary in that 21 tax of this nature generally regard to some of these complaints and
time before It can be
Some
takes effective.
It is quite true that businesses in- clude all non-cugporation #M and professional men, who do not pay Salaries Tax, but it must not be over- looked that the majority of these non- mainly of curporation firms consists small shop keepers whose capital, as a rule, is small If there were obvious evasion and unfair incidence, I venture i to think that the remedy is to amend the Way Revenue Ordinance
His Excellency has already recon- situled the War Revenue Committee i order that the Committee may R- examine and advise Government on the existing measures of
taxation in ART the light of the Colony's present inan- etal position and the actual rereipts frant the four boxes Imposed by the War Revenue Ordinances It is the task of this matter to find sane pracy fal solution and to give Government Gdvice as to the best means of raising revenue to meet War expenditure under prevailing conditions I will therefore abstrum hom making further cummments
With regard to the provisions for the tally collection of nightsoil to be un- dertaken by Government I understand that such provisions would not be car- ried out if there were a sign of any improvement in the Colony's finance
I do not think that it is quite correct
to say that the Urban council, of which
member. has definitely sug
I
on
[-
gested to Government to put an creuse of one [T cent 011 rutes Da order to meet expendituZON
this undertaking As a matter of fugt when thus uiter was brought up for cons sideration, the question of finance had not been discussed, I consider that it is not fan to place the entire burden on property owners without regard to the fact that some of the tenements have water flush systems. I wish tu point out that this responsibility of daily collection of nightsou. If undertaken by Government, 13 a service rendered to A particular class of the community and that class should pay for it,
My Chinese colleague the Hon. Tam hos spoken very fully on this subject. While I agree that the scheme sponsored by the Urban Counell is improvement. I feel that unless Gov- ernment is in a position to carry out that scheme in full. the alternative method mentioned by Mr. Tam in deal- ing with the existing system appears to be a practical one.
Primary Education
Mr
In the matter of education I welcome the provision for a new subsidy code for vernacular schools which makes
subsidies generous provisions for
to schools on the basis of approved ex- penditures on salaries of teachers and rent of school buildings. As a mem- ber of the Board of Education I firmly believe that in the educational system of this Colony it is Chinese primary education which urgently needs develop- ment. At the present line the develop ment of Chinese primary education is left almost entirely in the hands of pri- vate enterprises and 1 do not think that a satisfactory system can be achieved without Government taking a leading part in its development. I wish there- fore to urge Government that as soon as the financial position permits, should proceed with the programme for the development of Chinese primary education. This programme has been carefully considered by the Board of Education and submitted to Govern- ment by the Director of Education with the full and unanimous support of its members. I venture to think that this programme is not an 'extravagant one and does not call for heavy expendi- ture which will be spread over for a number of years.
it
in our opinion there are urgent needs for reform in the method of conducting this department. I may add that the attitude of those in charge of this de partment towards the general public 15 not at all helpful
the
tie life of the Chinese community is The position of firewood in the domes- second in importance to that of rice. The situation has gone from bad to worse during the last few months This might have been caused by seasonal demands such as Year but I have no doubt that it has been aggravated by the activities of unscrupulous profiteers, It has been proved that the cost of frewood tru
the Chinese New
ported into Hong Kong including freight and all landing charges is far below the prevailing market price demanded by exorbitant dealers. I understand that Government are now taking mea- nures to relieve the present situation and I believe that such measures will meet with success.
effort
to conserve.
although in a very small way, the much needed foreign currency and fonnage for the successful prosecution of
the War I realise that the tendency to- more
I day is for Government to play a
On the question of Food Control, wish to urge Government to pay ta closest attention to the recent rise in the cost of living in the Colony parti cularly rice
firewood. and
These are the two daily necessities of Chinese Community The rise in the
પ prices of these two commodities serious matter for the Chinese. parti- cularly the middle and poor classes, and consider that Guvernment should take vigorous measures to combat this evil With regard to rice I know that measures had been taken and are being
n
pronounced part in the social and economic life of the community and lu shoulder increased responsibilities and additional duties. I hope that with the return of
I would be possible peace for this Colony to go forward with such increased responsibilities and additionni Cutley
MR. BUTTERS REPLIES
The Hon. Mr. H. R. Butters, re- taken by Government to check the ab'plying, said: "May I preface my
I consider that, of all expenditures on social services, expenditure on Chi- nose primary education should receive first consideration. If we were able to provent, by providing proper education, a large number of young people from falling into the criminal class, it would relieve this Colony from other heavy ]. burdens such as increased police force. With regard to the recently establish- ed Immigration Department I wish to make the following observations. I be love that the imposition of restriction on free immigration was a now depar ture of the well established. polley of the Colony to keep this place open to the Chinese. I must say restriction of this kind is quite à common practice in other parts of the world but with this colony's close relation, with China, such a step.cant orily be considered as an-emergency measure forced upon us by prevailing, circumstances. I bo Heve that many of the social evili pre- valling in the Colony are closely con- nected with this "difcult problem of excessive population and I have, there, fore, no hesitation in agreeing that
Surplus Balances
to
No Emergency
SO
Mr.
So far income in this connec- Ulon has exceeded expenditure, but the position is not satisfactory though it cannot be said without actuarial investigation how many million dollars should be earmark- It is the problem of how finance the expenditure for next ed for this fund, but I am afraid is that the reserves year which finds us divided, not the position Unofficials from Officials, but with which the Honourable even Honourable Unofficial, Li Tse Fong wishes to meet next year's extraordinary commitments Members among themselves. In spite of what
in do not morally exist, though they I stated
made re-can to a certain extent be connection with the general serve balance, or so-called surplus available in an emergency. I agree of with him that balances may pro- balances, at the last meeting
(Continued on Page 14)
this Council, the Honourable Mr. perly be used to meet an emer-
we Tse Fong proposes that
Li
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