CO129-386 - Public Offices & Others - 1911 — Page 56

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interests ; but in view of the fact that the port was not of vital interest to the Colony they recomended that only half the cost of the Trincomalee garrison should be horne by the Colony. Capital expenditure on defences and barracks at Trincomalee was to be borne

formerly,

id

by His Majesty's Government. The Committee showed that half the cost of Trincomalee was £37,812, which added to the cost of the Colombo and Kandy garrisons (275,625) made a maximum charge of £113,437, ur suy £115,000. They added that this sum was a little more than of the whole cost of the land defence of Ceylon. The War Office would not accept £115,000 as the maximuK for all time, and in order to avoid friction with Caylon over the very vexed question of Trincomalee it was agreed upon by the Departments to fix the maximum at the total cost.

Ceylon therefore paid 7* of her revenue or the total cost of the garrison whichever was the smaller: and also provided except at Trincomalee defences and barrucks when required, Pic Majesty's Government supplying the

armament.

In 1898 the percentage was raised to 94 in return for the assessment of net receipts only from railways: and

the exclusion of land sales.

The Government of Ceylon therefore pays a contribution of 94 h of gross revenue subject to the above modifications

and undertakes to pay for capital expenditure on military

lands and buildings outside Trincomalee. It is also to

be understood that the annual percentage must not

exceed