CO129-290 - Governor Sir Blake - 1899 [1-4] — Page 258

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remarks, namely,

5. The petition itself calls for the following

PARAGRAPH 6 OF PETITION.

The cost of building the godowns was $36,000,

which is the "great cost" referred to.

PARAGRAPH 7.

* In respect of the statement Succeeded in esta-

'blishing a sound business to the full extent of the working

"capacity of the godowns" which occurs in this paragraph, I

have to report that in the returns from 1890 to 1897 inclusive

made by Mr.Howard to the Government Assessor in respect of the

godowns on Marine Lot 184 for the purposes of assessment under

the Rating Ordinance No.15 of 1888,Mr.Howard for the purposes

of obtaining a reduction in the assessment wrote that he lost

about one third of the earning power of the godowns from their

being empty. In the year 1893-1894 only is such loss put down

at one fourth.Police reports furnished to the Acting Colonial

Secretary between June and October 1898 showed that during

that period the godowns were during that period never more

than half empty, were sometimes only one quarter empty and were

at other times quite full.

PARAGRAPH 12.

With reference to this paragraph, I might point

out that the Praya Reclamation Ordinance itself does not men-

tion the rate of $5 per square foot, and that the original price

given by the petitioners for their land in 1886 was $65,000

only 1.e. at the rate of about $2 per square foot.

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