CO129-304 - Governor Sir Blake - 1901 [1-4] — Page 659

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vote of $100 has been placed on the Estimates yearly

until this year, this $100 being taken to represent

the excess purchase over issue in any one year.

Since the establishment of this

Account, it has been found impracticable to keep the

amount of excess purchase of Stores uniform; this is

mainly due to the great distance of Hongkong from

England, and the length of time which transpires between

the date of an order and the date of receipt of the

Stores ordered.

3

5.

Moreover, it often happens that the

Crown Agents' Accounts for some particular Stores pass

through the books of the Treasury and the Public Works

Department towards the close of one year, while the

goods themselves do not arrive in the Colony until the

early part of the following year.

6.

In any year when the value of sales

and transfers of Stores exceeds the value of purchases,"

then the credit balance for that year's working has to

be reckoned as an item of revenue and as such is liable

to Military Contribution of 20%, now that the Military

Contribution has been raised to this percentage.

7.

On the year's working in 1898 there

was a debit balance of $33,000.38. In 1899 a credit

balance of $20,086.97. In 1900 a debit balance of $57,791.89. Thus in 1899 a contribution of 173% on the

credit balance, mounting to about $8,509 was paid by

the Colonial Goverment to the Military Authorities.

8.