Copy.
(D)
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585
4
RECP
RES A CO
Report on the Revenue and other Accounts of the
Colony of Hong Kong, examined by the Local Auditor, for
1893.
1.
The programme of work for the year 1893
practically embraced the examination in detail of the
whole of the Revenue Accounts of the Colony with the
exception of the assessed taxes, and the monthly progress
returns sent home will indicate the extent of the exam-
ination made and show that the programme was carried out
almost in its entirety.
2.
In my Reports on 1891 and 1892 I pointed
out that the collections of Squatter's licences and villare
house rents were not altogether satisfactory. In 1893
good work has been done in getting these Accounts into
better order, but the arrears of village house rents,
although not large as a total, are yet considerable in
particular instances and it appears doubtful if they will
ever be collected.
The Squatters' Commission have
evolved something out of the chaos which existed as regards
several villages, and, as the work proceeds, no doubt in
time all the villages in the Colony will be put on a satis-
factory basis as regards rents, but the new departure made
of collecting the village taxes half-yearly, at the same
time as the rent, as reported in letter No 8/46 of 14th
August, 1893, somewhat complicates matters, and has
necessitated the opening of new collection books in the
Treasury.
3.
M