15
X
le colmces which are
not defendant afon ont croh.
See minutes on
No.1.
See enclosure 5 to 5.
X
on instruction from the Sors.
5. It is normally the Colony's aim to
maintain its surplus of assets at or above a
figure of $10,000,000.
annual
This is less than
one-third of (revenue, and the figure which we
in
x
have usually aimed at/the case of other Colonies
is that of at least six months' revenue.
In
the present circumstances, however, the 0.A.G.
has judged it better to risk the surplus
falling below the amount normally aimed at,
rather than to impose additional taxation, and
in view of the difficulty of making any
calculations of the effect of the disturbances,
it has already been decided that there is no
objection to this.
It may be noted that the new
procedure for consideration of the Estimates
suggested by Sir Andrew Caldecott last year
has been deferred until Sir Geoffry Northcote
his
has an opportunity of expressing any views
upon the question.
The general policy followed in the
Estimates and the Colonial Government's decision not
to impose new taxation was (not unnaturally)
welcomed by Unofficial Members of the
Legislative Council. The following points
from discussion of the Estimates by the Council
may be noted.
(a) The senior member and the senior
Chinese member both mentioned the menace of
the growth in illicit traffic in heroin, and
proposed that the keeping of a heroin divan
should be made an offence punishable by
This suggestion was turned down
flogging.
by the Colonial Secretary.
(b) The senior member also wished to
increase
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