Muhammad...
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been the mainspring of the importance it has arrived at
as
a port of call and converging centre for the bulk of
the shipping visiting the Far Eastern Seas.
In view however of Mr Chamberlain's opinion that the
amount levied as Harbour Dues should not exceed the total
expenditure on the Harbour Department, I am desired to
draw attention to the following facts, which it is considered
conclusively indicate that, on this basis,
there is $40,000 available from this source for General Harbour
Expenditure, and, as is shown in Sir William Robinson's letter, there
is a further revenue of $50,000 a year emanating from the charge
on native craft also available for that purpose, but, in addition
to this sum of $90,000 per annum, I am able to state that there
are further charges on shipping collected by the Harbour Department
such as Native Emigration Fees, taxes on Moorings and Lighters, &c. which bring in a considerable annual revenue, though
I am unable, from the information at my disposal in this country,
to state what the amount is.
In the letter from H.E. the Governor of Hong Kong
it is stated that the tonnage which visited the port in
1895 amounted to 5,772,289 tons, which at 1 cent per ton
would yield a revenue of upwards of $57,000. In the letter
from the Shipping Firms of the 13th ultimo, it was
pointed out that the present total annual expenditure of
the whole Lighthouse Establishment of Hong Kong is under
$17,000. There is consequently a balance of upwards of
$40,000
It is considered however that the foregoing statements may
be fairly held to indicate that the revenue at present collected
by the Harbour Department (exclusive of the special levy of 1
cent per ton as Light Dues in connection with the Gap Rock Lighthouse)
is already in excess of the total expenditure of that
Department,
and it is therefore respectfully urged that no
further tax of any description may be levied upon Shipping, as
such a charge would be exclusively applicable to the general
expenditure of the Colony, and is absolutely not required to
meet