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regarded as vain. It is possible --I do not think it is likely that some of them would be willing to make a contribution if all the others would do so but I can state unhesitatingly that at least one of the most important of such corporations would decline to do so and the others would naturally follow suit. The suggestion can, ofcourse, be put to them if you wish, but I am sure that it will have no result.
May I venture to make a suggestion?
In the discussion on the Budget for 1925 (see pages 101-2 of the Hongkong Hansard for 1924) Mr. Holyoak, speaking on behalf of the Unofficial Members of the
Legislative Council, said:
*It is our conviction that considering the "condition of China at present, Hongkong is
riously under-garrisoned and that a far larger
"force should be kept here for emergency purposes
"here and elsewhere; suitably and tactfully
"approached, we imagine that the British sections
"of Municipal Councils in Concessions throughout *China would be willing to consider a rate levy,
"in contribution to this Government for the
"right to call for protection in emergency." It did not appear to me to be worth while to pursue
this suggestion at the time as there could be no
doubt that the Municipal Councils of the Concessiona
would not be disposed to contribute towards the relief
of the burdens of the Hongkong tax-payer, but the line
of thought seems worth following up.
It is now admitted
--
and recent events
have illustrated the fact that the garrison of Hong -
kong is maintained not only for the defence of
Hongkong