1249
the Acting Treasurer, it would have been more
regular to have asked Mr Thomson if he
I
ና
had first ascertained the correctives of
his
sponsible officer
me as the ris
facts from and head of the Department before ruoking to the Executive as he has done
or
such
sweeping and groundless charges.
that
2. As a preliminary I beg to state
the subject of probate duty is one that
I have ever made
my
of
the
Indeed it is orc agamet this office
011
fursonal concern,
complaints
Imade
my asemuption of duty and the enormous increase in the revence since I have been in charge is the direct result of the attention paid by
me in that direction.
3. In the estali under Consideration
aut no reason to bebine that it has been
von and I am
I have
underawer
confirmed
my
belief by the enclosed reports (A) from the Deputy Land Officer and (B) Meaors Wilkinson & Grist, the Solicitors for the Executors.
the
4. At the time of the filing of Petition for Probate Mr. Sect the Deputy Registrar and Appraiser, fully investigated the matter (as he invariably
doto in all Casto
Appendix B-continued
420
5f Oct 15 y 1903, pars
of Admi
"tration) and
Angered fin Mefiston's letter of Oct. 11 of Probate and Letters satisfied himself.
as
as he was
far as
to the trust of the Petition.
able to, as
5. It would be interesting to know
got
his
information
where Mr Thomson to ito bring an undoubled fact
at that the Government is cheated in
is cheated in very many,
Ad
if not Chinese
all, cases of probate duty paid on estates"." He has never been in the Registry of
the Supreme Court; he knows absoluttly noding of of my office and so for Acting Collector go,
ao
the
working
or internal routine.
duties as his own he has never during
the time he has bun in the Treasury
queried or attempted to fixed by my
Department. 6. In contradiction.
over
query any
valuation
of
his statement
as to the Chinese, I beg to state that there is no class of Asiatics more ready to pay the proper value when such has been ascertained than the Chinese. These people compare most favourably in that respect; with Europeans who I find expecially in Stongkong are always prepared by subterfuge means to defraud the revenue and in that respect they people in England where such stringent
or other
are no worse than our own