12. In order to partially cover the deficit, it will be necessary to have recourse to fresh and additional taxation, and I propose to raise a sum of $230,000 in this way.
After careful consideration of the sources from which this additional amount of revenue might be derived I propose to
(a) increase the Stamp duties so as to yield an additional sum of $40,000.
I have compared the duties payable in Hong Kong with those obtaining in Jamaica, and I find that the latter are in most cases more than double the charges made here.
(b) increase the fees for Arms Licences from $10 to $20 annually, which should produce an additional annual sum of $20,000.
Independently of revenue purposes, this course is most desirable from a Police point of view for the more efficient control of dealers in arms.
(c) increase the fees for Chinese wholesale Spirit Licences from $150 to $250 per annum which would bring in additional revenue to the extent of $30,000.
The Government has recently received an offer for a monopoly of the sale of Chinese Spirits which shows an advance on the present receipts from licences of $30,000, but I am opposed to the grant of monopolies, and I do not consider that any hardship would be caused by deriving this extra amount of revenue from increased licence fees.