H!
which the Percentage is to be calculated for its purposes of military contribution,
is to "include the gross receipts by the Colony from
all sources of Revenue, with certain specified
exceptions.
The Military Contribution
should be calculated on the
total Sums paid
paid in account of Rates, with only
the deduction of any sums,
which
may
be repayable
on account of Refunds.
The total
amount involved
differs from the
Estimates for the current
year
to be $15,000,
is about $15,000. The Military
Contribution is therefore about
£262. 18, and it is
undesirable to amend the
existing Laws or
to alter
the present form of Accounts;
for the sake of so small
a sum.
4. I have, however,
to point out to
you
that
the
principle of Refunds of Revenue
affecting the Military contribution of Hong Kong is fixed
on
a
broad principle, that a
Colony should pay yearly
a
fixed percentage of its Revenue; after the deduction of only
are referred
the allowances
referred to in Section 3 of Ordinance
1896: and it seems to
me undesirable to
depart
from
a
way
to further
complicate matters by raising points
of detail in connection
with the matter.
5. If the amounts which are allowed in such a
way
are to materially reduce
the
gross
total
of
the Revenue,
it would become necessary
to consider the question of increasing the percentage making
up the present
of the need for this.
6. I desire also
to refer
to Lord Ripon's
despatch No. 85 of 3rd April
1895 regarding the
question.
Somewhat similar
...
7