8
of a number of items of Revenue which are now excluded in the
Straits Settlements.
2.
The first of these items is the Revenue
collected by Municipal and Rural Boards. In the Straits
Settlements all municipal services are provided by Municipaliti-
-es with revenues which are distinct from those of the Govern-
-ment and which therefore escape liability to pay Military
Contribution: similarly the expenditure necessary to maintain
country roads and to provide for the conservancy of Country
Districts is debited to Rural Boards which derive a consider-
-able Revenue from assessments, licences and taxes, none of
which are assessable to Lilitary Contribution. The amount of
such Municipal Revenues excluded from the Revenue assessable
to Military Contribution in the Straits Settlements was
$3,519,298 in 1909 and since it was fully understood at the
time that this Colony accepted Mr. J. Chamberlain's proposal to
pay 20 per contun of its gross Revenue towards defence, that
the two Colonies of Hongkong and the Straits Settlements
should be treated alike, it appears only just that the follow-
-ing items shown in the printed Estimates for 1911 may be so
exempted:-