1938-04-05 — Page 10

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payments the con- ould meet the rks met in the first place from general revenue

the triffing sum of $18,668,000 strangely overlooks the fact that the public has already paid for these ancient adventures in- to the task of adjusting supply to meet demand. For a surety, additional imposts were placed upon the Colony's residents of past generations for the purpose for of meeting from revenue” the to costs involved. The least that

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can be said is that provision was dress,made in the Estimates of former but days for the construction of dams and catchments and that Bud- gets were framed so as to bring in the necessary revenue. Why, in 1937, ten, twenty, thirty, forty years later, it should be blandly suggested that the pub- lic, having once paid in hard cash or these waterworks, should pay for them all over again at óri- ginal coste may bear every re- semblance to brainwave from the viewpoint of Government ac- countancy, but would in circles where the writ of Government peculiarities does · not carry and invokes no modera- tion of tone, be regarded as some- what in the nature of a ramp.

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॰, དུ'ཀཾ, མཱམ བྷ, ཡཐུ Hong Kong, Tuesday, April 5, 1938.

A MONUMENTAL WATER WORK

It is a long-attested that, with dexterous handling, figures can be made to prove any- Caine does not supply an We do not suggest that thing. No great surprise, there-planation for this remarkable de- fore, will be expressed at the mand. He says, quite frankly, ability of the Hon. Financial Sec-made up by this means

that if general revenue is retary, in his monumental mem- taxation will have to be raised in extra

orandum on the Colony's water some other form and the com- finances, to present apparently balance. He adds, it is true, that munity will be no better off on sound and convincing reasons the prime object of making the why the appearance of two Gov-consumer of water pay the full ernment departments where one cost will not be attained, which existed before should have the damentally disagree. The con is the point on which we fun- result of increasing the cost of sumer has paid the capital cost water to the community. The in direct taxation under the Hon. Mr. Sydney Caine's pro-

heading of Public Works Extra- ordinary. Mr. Caine's position posals, briefly, envisage separa-is strongest and weakest tion, for financial administration on the revenue basis. And on purposes, of the Water Authority this basis, it would be interesting from the P.W.D., abandonment Secretary squares his insistence to know how the Hon. Financial

...

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poor

of the free allowances of the on swelling the general revenue assessment tax, standard charges by high water charges with the of 30 cents per thousand gallons will be found on balance to pay admission that "the poor tenant for the lower levels, 50 cents for more as a result of the proposed the Peak and 40 cents for the changes in the collection of water Upper charges against waterworks and the poor more heavily in propor- taxation system already taxes the repayment of all past expen-tion to income than the wealthy”" diture on waterworks. The net and with the concession to Peak result of the scheme, the figures ed to pay the full cost of the residents who are not to be ask- provided in the appendixes make water they consume. He de- very obvious, is that the minimum mands the collection for fifty increase in the cost of water to years of $373,360 per annurn as the community will be in the the general revenue, despite his an easy way of "making up" neighbourhood of $120,000 on a sentiments regarding the highly conservative estimate and what is, in reality, a severe. The whole case for this new im taxation system. To us, and, we condemnation of the Hong Kong. position, recommended to come believe, logically, it would matter into operation as from July 1, to not if the community were add to the burdens of rising rents, better off on balance if increased charges for gas and the best position to meet generally higher living costs, is taxation were made to pro based upon the contention that he balance. Analysed from past expenditure out of revenue viewpomt of those who believed should be treated as a loan, with that Government were disinclio- the Government "magnanimoused to observe the recommenda--- by offering to charge no inter- tion of the Economic Commis- est upon it. If however, Mr.sion that water should not be Caine has been ingenious in the made a source of reverne, Mr. presentation of his case, his Caine's figures are strikingly com nemorandum is also commend firmatory. When it is recalled tably lucid. So complete, indeed, that the whole purpose of the is the absence of any attempt to "municipalisation proposal be deceptive about the facts that the cheapening of water, it would some astonishment must be ex-jseem comic, were it not pressed at the method of arious that Government should proach to and the odd distinction make out of it a bastard that seems to be drawn between the PWD Government revenue and public public to pay an affiliation era

compel *money. The suggestion that for fifty years

of