392
The amount of War Revenue actually collected up to the end of the fiftieth week of the year was approximately $4,864,000 but it should be remembered that collection began late in the year: it is expected that the balance of the estimated total will be collected before 31st March, 1941.
Expenditure.
6. The revised estimate of expenditure for the fifteen months is $66,877,500, an excess of $15,575,322 over the original estimate of $51,302,178 and of $28,928,384 over the actual expenditure of 1939 (twelve months). Up to the 19th December, 1940, supplementary votes totalling $18,173,105 had been approved by the Finance Committee, of which $6,054,867 is under ordinary Heads of Expenditure and $12,118,238 under the new Head 32, War Expenditure.
Arising out of the situation in China the Colony has had to maintain, as in 1939, thousands of refugees, while the hospitals have had many more patients to care for, the numbers being still further swollen by epidemics of smallpox and cholera which recur annually nowadays. Arising out of the war with Germany and Italy there have been large increases in expenditure for defence, some of which are shown under the new Head 32, War Expenditure, and others under ordinary Heads. Many other increases are due to the increasing cost of materials which again of course is a consequence of the war. Table III shows the more important variations in individual Heads apart from Head 32, War Expenditure.
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