CO129-282 - Acting Governor Major Gen Black - 1898 [3-4] — Page 89

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rised limit of $200,000 were during the first 3 months of

1895 kept in the Hong-Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation

to meet the same abnormal call on the public funds, from

April to end of July the sums in the Hong-Kong & Shanghai

Bank were kept within or about the limit of $200,000 but

from the end of July to the end of October this limit in

the Hong-Kong & Shanghai Bank was exceeded owing, so far

as I can ascertain, to the sale of subsidiary coins. During

the same period no transfer was made to the Chartered Bank

of the unauthorised excess in the Hong-Kong & Shanghai Bank

because Crown Agents'arafts were maturing to an extent that

would speedily reduce the balance in the Hong-Kong & Shang-

hai Bank within the authorised limit, and a temporary trans-

fer from the one bank to the other carried no practical ad-

vantage. Subsequent temporary excessive balances in the Hong-

Kong & Shanghai Bank and the abstention from transferring

any portion of such balances to the Chartered Bank were due

to the same causes as those just related. I may point out

that Lord Knutsford's despatch No.222 of 10th.October, 1890,

does not as a fact insist on the division of Government bu-

siness between the two local banks, but merely directs that

the amount of Government Funds in the Hong-Kong & Shanghai

Bank shall not exceed $125,000 and the amounts in each of

the other Banks shall not exceed $75,000.

(3.) Turning now to the second head of inquiry

viz., why the Praya Fund Current Account has never been

Ith vil

transferred