CO129-516-3 Military contribution of Colony assessmenet of contribution 13-3-1929 - 28-3-1930 — Page 46

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Governor considered that this should now be

something like 6% on account of the increased

value of money since the date of the Ordinance.

(2) For the purpose of exemption under that

Section of the Ordinance, there should now be

included such productive undertakings as

wireless telegraphy, waterworks, aerodrome,

harbour dredging, post office operations,

ferries, and finally certain operations of

the Colonial Government which might properly

be charged to the municipal rates.

The despatch concluded, "It is sought to avoid

raising difficult questions of this nature by the

suggestion for the new method of assessing the

military contribution; and at the same time the

existence of such claims for withdrawing revenue

from the military contribution assessment provides

good reason for accepting the rate of 12% for

future assessments in accordance with the new

scheme in preference to any higher rate.

"

12%

would provide at least as large a sum as His

Majesty's Government is entitled to expect if the

present system were worked in a way considered

equitable by this Government."

In a separate confidential despatch of

the same date, the Officer Administering the

Government pointed out that the suggested rate

of 12% of the annual valuation would bring in for

the year 1929 "slightly less than the average contribution for the years 1926/8 and considerably less than that for the years 1925/7", although he

considered that a substantial deduction should

per

probably be made from the revenue now assessed

for