CO129-526-13 Military contribution- basis of assessment 17-6-1930 - 26-7-1930 — Page 7

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and I am prepared to represent to Their

Lordships that it may equally be argued

that, if 'Assessable Revenue' is to be

interpreted as the whole Colonial

revenue reduced only by the exemptions

allowed at the time of the Committee's

report, then the same relation may no

longer subsist between assessable revenue

and general means as subsisted at the

time when the present percentage was

fixed and that it is, therefore, for

consideration whether it might not be

equitable to exempt from assessment for

contribution certain items of revenue

which represent the gross receipts of

quasi-industrial undertakings which were

not then in existence, e.g., receipts

from wireless undertakings, and, in

accordance with the principles accepted

by the Haliburton Committee, to assess

only the net revenue from such

undertakings. Similarly, changed

conditions might be held to justify a

change in the rate of, annual percentage

allowance upon capital expenditure from current revenues on railways, telephone

or other productive undertakings, as

provided by section 3 of the Defence

Contribution Ordinance, 1901.

4. I am accordingly to request you

to submit for consideration of His

Majesty's Government such of the claims

referred to in paragraph 2 as

can be

regarded/