HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
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Order made by the Controller of Trade under the Defence Regulations, 1939, with the consent of the Governor, prohibiting the export, except by licence, of Nickle Coins, dated 15th March, 1940.
Copy of Secretary of State's Despatch No. 82 of 29th February, 1940, with enclosures, relative to Hong Kong Military Contribution.
Administration Reports, 1939:-
Part II.-Law and Order :-
Report of the Commissioner of Prisons.
FINANCE COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY, by command of H.E. The Governor, laid upon the table the Report of the Finance Committee (No. 2), dated 14th March, 1940, and moved that it be adopted.
THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY seconded, and this was agreed to.
TELEPHONE AMENDMENT BILL, 1940.
THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY moved the first reading of a Bill intituled "An Ordinance to amend the Telephone Ordinance, 1925, as amended by the Telephone Amendment Ordinance, 1930, and the Telephone Amendment Ordinance, 1933." He said: Your Excellency,- The Taxation Committee which you, Sir, appointed in 1938 "to consider and report what methods of taxation could best be adopted in the Colony, should it be necessary to raise additional revenue, having regard to the Colony's general economic position and the importance of distributing any additional burden in the most equitable manner in relation to the incidence of existing taxation" among its minor recommendations under the heading Utility Companies stated, in connection with the Telephone Company, "We are informed that the present franchise of this Company is unsatisfactory in various ways both to the Company and to Government and we recommend that the possibility of revision in such a manner as to secure higher royalties for Government, while removing the features which are at present objectionable to the Company, should be investigated in collaboration with the Company”.
Before the Telephone Ordinance No. 9 of 1925, which it is now proposed further to amend, was introduced into this Council a Resolution moved by the then Colonial Secretary, Sir Claud Severn, was passed. That Resolution described the negotiations which led up to the determination under the Ordinance of the franchise to operate telephones which had been granted in 1905 by the Government to the China and Japan Telephone and Electric Company, Limited and the
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