CO129-513-6 Hong Kong water supply- schemes for development and improvement 25-1-1929 - 2-8-1929 — Page 20

Enclosure No. 2.

20

ATTORNEY GENERAL'S CHAMBERS,

Hong Kong...27.th July...............1929.

REPORT ON ORDINANCE No...........12..........of 192 9..

1.

I have examined the accompanying Ordinance. intituled an

Ordinance to amend the Waterworks Ordinance, 1903, and I

am of opinion that the Ordinance is one which is not

contrary to the Governor's instructions.

2. A certain portion of the percentage of assessment

collected as rates under the Rating Ordinance, 1901, Ordinance

No. 6 of 1901, is regarded as a water rate, and in view of

the payment of this water rate a certain allowance of water

is supplied to tenements which are rated. This is

polularly known as the "free allowance".

The water

shortage became so serious in June that it was decided to

abolish this "free allowance" and to charge for all water

supplied by meter, the price for excess consumption over

the former "free allowance" being raised.

3.

The "free allowance" could have been abolished

without any amendment of the principal Ordinance, but the

price for excess consumption could not have been raised

sufficiently because the principal Ordinance provided a

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