CO129-379 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1911 [8-9] — Page 10

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of a number of items of Revenue which are now excluded in the

Straits Settlements.

2.

The first of these items is the Revenue

collected by Municipal and Rural Boards. In the Straits

Settlements all municipal services are provided by Municipaliti-

-es with revenues which are distinct from those of the Govern-

-ment and which therefore escape liability to pay Military

Contribution: similarly the expenditure necessary to maintain

country roads and to provide for the conservancy of Country

Districts is debited to Rural Boards which derive a consider-

-able Revenue from assessments, licences and taxes, none of

which are assessable to Lilitary Contribution. The amount of

such Municipal Revenues excluded from the Revenue assessable

to Military Contribution in the Straits Settlements was

$3,519,298 in 1909 and since it was fully understood at the

time that this Colony accepted Mr. J. Chamberlain's proposal to

pay 20 per contun of its gross Revenue towards defence, that

the two Colonies of Hongkong and the Straits Settlements

should be treated alike, it appears only just that the follow-

-ing items shown in the printed Estimates for 1911 may be so

exempted:-