OP Y.
Enclosure 1.
Hon. Colonial Secretary,
C.O.
35663
Rece
10 4 1 OCT 08
The Section as it stands was approved by
365
the Chambers of Commerce of Shanghai and Hongkong, and further
the Section was amended at the instigation of the Shanghai
Chamber of Commerce so as to provide that the fee should be
assessed on "the paid up" rather than "the nominal " value of
the Company, and that Chamber also expressed the opinion that
the Ordinance "will give those Companies who transact their
"business outside of Hongkong all that they can fairly ask for".
In the correspondence attached to the
letter of the Hongkong China Association the Shanghai Branch
said "a more or less substantial fee could be charged for the
"licence varying with the amount of the capital of each
"Company".
The above is I think a complete refutation
of the allegation of hardship in the Consul-General's letter.
I would suggest that the remarks of the
Registrar of Companies may be invited on the point.
15th. August, 1908.
(sd.) W. R. Davies,
Attorney-General.