237
despatch N. 1341 of 10th September 1890, para: 144
14, Your Lordship will see that I have expressed precisely the same opinion; and, for the last four or five years, when referring to the sale of Crown Lands I have endeavoured to impress on the Legislative Council the fact that our Crown Lands constituted a part of the Capital of the Colony.
As regards the exceptional taxes on junks and native Cargo-boats, I believe their remission would not really diminish the annual revenue of the Colony. It would certainly facilitate the commercial movement in the Harbour and, as I pointed out more than once to the Legislative Council, whatever promotes the cheap transfer of goods in this great depôt, indirectly increases our revenue. Though they are directly levied on one race (the Chinese) these taxes indirectly press upon the British Manufacturers whose interest it is to have their goods transferred as quickly and as cheaply as possible in this harbour. I therefore trust Your Lordship will, on reconsideration, allow me to remove those taxes.
As regards the moderate allowance of $600 a year given to Mr. Ford for tree-planting in addition to his fixed salary of $1440