1887-1903
COLONIAL REPORTS-ANNUAL.
No. 210.
HONG KONG.
(For Report for 1895, see No. 178 of this Series.)
Governor SIR WILLIAM ROBINSON to MR. CHAMBERLAIN.
SIR,
Government House, Hong Kong,
23rd July, 1897.
I HAVE the honour to transmit to you the Blue Book for 1896, and to submit for your information the following general review of the year.
FINANCES.
The revenue collected during the year shews an increase of $123,650.05 over the revenue of the preceding year, the gross receipts amounting to $2,609,878.94 as against $2,486,228.89 collected during 1895. This very satisfactory result is, however, more than accounted for by the exceptionally large receipts derived from Land Sales, which realised $270,858.99 or an increase of $140,387.20 over the proceeds from the same source of revenue in the previous year.
Substantial increases are also shewn under the following heads:
(a) Light Dues $9,998
(b) Fines $27,289
(c) Licences $5,000
(d) Stamps $9,477
(e) Rent of Government Property, &c. $7,175
There is also a general increase under "Fees of Court or Office, &c.," but it is chiefly accounted for by the transfer to the revenue side of items which were treated in 1895 as appropriations in aid of expenditure.
14650*-75-9/97 Wt 20613 D & S-5 (B)
A 2
159