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is four hundred and fifty-six thousand, eight hundred and
ninety-seven dollars. It is, therefore, run at a dead loss
of fifty-seven thousand dollars, but the Colony is charged 20% on four hundred and three thousand dollars, or is
debited with eighty thousand dollars for a department which already costs it a large sum of money! You will
remember Hong Kong for years had to support British Post
Offices all over China; the Imperial Goverment have now
taken over that, but for all the years that charge
existed,it cost the colony an immense sum of money for
a purpose which was entirely Imperial and not in any sanse local. !!
There are other items on the credit side of the Colony's revenue statement which are merely book entries
and do not represent actual cash received. I venture to suggest that it would be a more just arrangement if the Military contribution were levied on the actual net cash revenue received. Under the present system the help is almost nullified by the present system of collecting
the Military contribution.
are
(In addition to the direct loss of revenue there many extra charges placed on the Colony owing to the Police charges are consequences of the new legislation.
increased to prevent secret opium smoking and the police being occupied in this have been unable to afford the same
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