THE HONGKONGAN
LLUS AND
ide
has
of spoken or has been end of What ner liott mean by a free port to lighthouses or pping P Not in the slightest. ise and an undertaking that there Hongkong no Custom duties and the main observed. To that fairly and reasonably the pros. lace. +: The question appears to per ton or absolute exemption
shipping companies who have
• Chamberlain recommend, ex- that is the opinion of those who en and spoken authoritatively upon
セ
H. WHITEHEAD-Not at all. CHAIRMAN—Would you minden peating yon said, Mr. Sharp P
AMR
AEP What is advocated appears to
exemption.
lon. T H. WHITEHEAD No, quite wrong. ME, BHARP —That is what is claimed by the Thipping companies. I have their letter here
hich they recommend...
TEHEAD--Quite wrong.............
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ighter) Why not
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just as readily. And the banks, too. not indispensable to the onlony Why! they not be exempt from taxation P. I. they might equally be. I havo just a rough little estimate of what 24 ton amounts to. I calculate- I shall correction; in fact, it would be interesting to ask the assistance of the Harbour Master as to what 2 cents amounts to upon the value of is the these vessels during the time they are occupy ing & station in the harbour. I estimate it amounts to one-fifth part of that which obanged for property on shore. - The upon Pedder's Wharf pays 13 per Kowloon Point a little less. Should not in the harbour which lies between be t somewhat proportionate degree P. Surely if it is only one-fifth of the tax on property on shore it is an extremely light tax. What do ship get? Do they get anything? They get water they get coal, they get stores, they get docking accommodation, they get refitting, and they get hospital accommodation and medical advice. They get banking facilities, they get all the advantages of a civilized port, and they get protection, which in former years they did not get, when there were no taxes. We do not have piracies-ships being taken by pirates. ang TH. WHITEH
Where is piracy now? It is dead and gone, th CHAIRMAN-Order!
Are not the ships to pay something for all SHARP They recommend the wisdom of these things. At present in Shanghai the dredg- exemption and positive freedom. Here ing of the river is a very serious affair. By letter signed by all the shipping com- and, by it will become a matter of dredging London. Very well, they take up the our harbour, and what is to be said tioning the authority and position of of the millions of tons of steamer ashes the other side. I do not think there and of ballast which have been thrown by argument in it. They refer to the the mercantile marine, into the harbour, and as of their views. Now what is the which by and by will have to be taken out? bias of the views of the shipping pro- Are the ships to pay nothing?: Mr. Lister, PIs it not freedom for shipping when he was Colonial Treasurer, said he was the natural bias of
of property owners exceedingly jealous of any property-being freedom for property Mr. Chairman,exempt from taxation. He said we mustɔ tax of at all sure whether: a. nan can be a everything we possibly can in order to widen authority upon any subject he dis- the basis. Taxation in Hongkong is unques- he has not some interest in the tionably a very grievous burden and if the Then, again, the London shipping basis were to be narrowed it would be in- that cents is to be devoted to supportable. It must be widened and rely unconnected) with shipping. broadened so that we may not sink under the
Is there any money, pub- weight. It is no use for shippers to say Hongkong which is wholly un- We are independent of the port, and the port shipping P think none at all, to say We are independent of shipping. taration of the colony is for the There is no independence at all. We are the colony and for the benefit of mutually dependent. The hand cannot say to by whom the colony is frequented. In the foot, "I have no need of thee. And so it
thefree port
promised, is with us. The one is dependent upon the not only no customs, but there were other. There must be as mutual arran here were expenses in those and each side must bear its real and so that time have had enormous share One is «necessary to the oth
trust, Mr. Chairman, that the matter
fully
vern
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the answer there is an
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about being a getting the year very pow pov
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the
being
views stand can be of expressed are the opinions of the Asso the mem
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