273
mel: 149
No. 420.
Best 13 OUT 00
Government House.
Hong-Kong, 14th. September, 1900.
gir,
No.317 of the 6th. July.
Referring to my despatches noted in
the margin, I have the honour to inform you
No.345 of the 28th, July. that the estimated cost of adding 100 men to the Volunteer Corps is for the year 1901, $21,090 as shown
in the enclosed statements.
The estimate is relatively larger than that
made in the first mentioned of my despatches above referred
to, which is found to have been underestimated.
The large item of $12,600 for equipment would
of course be non-recurrent, I have included the entire cost in
the Estimates for 1901 pending the settlement of the question whether the Imperial Government should defray it, and I have
now to suggest that you will be good enough to ask the Secre-
tary of State for War to cause the equipment, and all future equipment, to be supplied on requisition from the Colony free
of charge, and to contribute next year, and annually, the recur- rent expenditure of $8,490.
The Right Honourable
JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN,M.P.
I have the honour to be,
sir,
Your most obedient
Humble Servant.
GOVERNOR, &C.
612