ENCLOSURE 1 (to Hong Kong Despatch no.265/01)
From the Acting Attorney General.
To the Honourable the Colonial Secretary.
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Hongkong, 9th May, 1901.
I have discussed this question with the Medical Officer of Health and I think it will be as well for me to explain the position of affairs briefly in this Minute.
The Sanitary Board has Depôts at Kennedy Town for the reception of cattle, pig, sheep and goats.
These Depôts are directly under the control of the Sanitary Board who collect revenue from the owners directly for the use of the Depôt, at the rate of so much per head. (See bye-laws in Schedule to Ordinance 13 of 1901).
The great bulk of the animals are drafted direct to the Slaughter House from the depots within a few days of their arrival in the Colony, for slaughter and consumption.
A few animals (about 9% of the total admissions), however, are exported.
When animals are slaughtered, there is a fee payable per head for the slaughter by the owners of the animals.
That fee is collected by the Slaughter house lessee from the owners of the animals.
That lessee is the person who at the end of each year offers the highest tender to the Government for the collection of Slaughter house fees for the ensuing year.
In other words the Government farms out the right of collecting fees to the lessee, who pays the Government the amounts specified in his accepted tender, by monthly instalments.
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