CO129-509-8 Military Contributions- claim for relief 24-2-1928 - 15-12-1928 — Page 62

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revenue there might be at the disposal of His Majesty's Government for war purposes. It was accordingly suggested

that it might be the desire of the Legislative Council to treat this war payment as a contribution towards the cost

of the war and to waive refund.

At the time of the receipt of the War Office

letter (which was forwarded by your Department to Hong Kong)|

the Colonial Government was much exercised over the re-

distribution of military sites in the Colony, which the Governor described in the confidential despatch of 17th July, 1920, not only as "a matter of urgency'' but as "vitally important ... to the Colony". He therefore proposed that

the refund of the over-paid contribution should be

considered in that connection, and stated that if the Army

Council were ready to shew a reasonable spirit in the

matter it was quite possible that he could persuade the

unofficial Members of the Legislative Council to waive the

refund of the overpayment. The Army Council were

satisfied to leave the matter there for the time being.

Since that date a number of fresh circumstances

have arisen which have placed the question of the military

lands in the quite different position stated in the first

paragraph of this letter. It is not necessary to rehearse

the history of this matter, but the fact that the

negotiations were brought to the verge of completion is

evidence (if evidence were required) of the display by the

Council of that reasonable spirit which the Governor in

1920 invited.

The Council therefore trust that the Secretary

of State will be ready to propose to the present Governor

that he should follow out the line indicated by his

predecessor in the despatch quoted above, and use his

influence to persuade the Legislative Council to waive the

refund.

In