C. 22459/26.
No.
HONG KONG.
PROOF.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNOR.
[Answered by No.
]
Downing Street, 15th December, 1926.
(No. 421.) SIR,
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No. 298 of the 24th June, 1926, in which you submit a proposal that in future the military contri- bution for the whole of any given year should be a certain percentage of the annual valuation made during the previous year under the Rating Ordinance, No. 6 of 1901.
2. While I agree that the rating valuation affords a more satisfactory basis for assessment, it would be idle to approach the Treasury with a proposal for the adoption of the system unless the contribution calculated on this basis could be shown to be not less than the average contribution on the old basis for the last three years. Any representations to the Treasury would also be more likely to have weight if they were brought up in connexion with a request for relief under the present system of assess- ment such as is foreshadowed in paragraphs 6 and 7 of your despatch.
I have, &c.,
L. S. AMERY.
* C. 14661/26.
Straits Defence Con.-Gp. 6. 131/2963.
24. 8/34. (18274) M. & S. Ltd.
19