CO129-542-13 Tobacco taxation- suggested scale of duties 23-12-1932 - 25-10-1933 — Page 22

2.O.T.

No. Confidential.2.

GOVERNMent hoUSE,

HONG KONG. 23rd December, 1932.

Sir,

In ave 1.com 90918/39/12. Part 44.

69.cm

90918/1/33. 12. 2nd

11 on

827861

31

With reference to your Circular Confidential

despatch of the 29th September, 1932, and its enclosures, to your Confidential telegram No. 88 of 12th July, 1932, on the subject of preferential duties on Empire- grown and Empire-manufactured tobacco, I have the honour to inform you that I have carefully considered this matter in the light of the information available regarding the Sierra Leone and Malayan Tariffs, and now enclose for your consideration a suggested scale of duties which might in my opinion be imposed without

undue disadvantages.

2.

The rates shown in the table are in the

conventional currency established by the Resolution of

the Legislative Council forwarded in my despatch Confidential (2) of the 31st March, 1931, and should be

converted into s terling at the rate of $1 = 1s.8d.

The existing duties on all tobacco except cigars, which form a very small fraction of the total consumption, are

far too low to make practicable a preference of 2s.0d per lb as suggested in the memorandum on Tobacco which accompanied your despatch: and in fact any material

increase in the duty on unmanufactured tobacco of non-

British origin which in the form of locally manufactured

cigarettes

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

SIR P. CUNLIFFE-LISTER, G.B.E., M.C., M.P.

etc.

etc.

etc.

Boopy 13/T

/ 25