CO129-437 - Public Offices - 1916 — Page 124

In any further communication

on the subject, please quote

No.35618/F.

nud ldren—

The Under-Secpatary of State,

Foreign Office,

London.

зе

11127

REC [REGS 7 MAR 16

March

FOREIGN OFFICE 122

ما

,1916.

Bir:-

Gov

With reference to your letter 5668/15/16 of

February 23rd, 1916, covering a copy of a despatch from the Governor of Hongkong regarding the imposition of a Salt Tax in Hongkong, and asking that the Portuguese Minister be approached with the object of moving the Government of Portugal to limit the next letting of the

salt monopoly at Macao to annual or at any rate

biennial periods, I am directed by Secretary Sir

E. Grey to request that you will supply him with

further information as to the benefits which it is

calculated will accrue to the Chinese Salt Administra-

tion and to the Governments of Hongkong and of Macao

through the proposed curtailment of the Macao salt

monopoly periods, the probable effect of which is not

explained in Sir H. May's despatch of the 29th December

last. Without such information it may be difficult

to convince the Portuguese Government as to the

advantage to be derived from action in the sense

desired.

e Under secretary of State,

Colonial Office.

I am "

sir,

Your most obedient,

humble Servant,

Wrangler

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