CO129-572-14 Proposed reorganisation of water services 7-4-1938 - 3-4-1939 — Page 8

ENTERED

IN FRONT OF REFISTER

4-Gov. 779

779 of Ordu 29-1938 20. 10.388 (Indo Copes for apport,

of 20-193820.10.388 sache riport bis Alleh. Genet.

own commin's)

this

5. M. Sain 20.

The accessor

. م2

25.10.38

s Kinderson)

This seems to conflict with paragraph 2.

This Ordinance is the final step in the

reorganization of the water services in Hong Kong,

which has already been considered in previous

correspondence and minutes. As far as the

Ordinance itself is concerned, I see nothing on

which to comment, and I think we may simply signify

non-disallowance.

It is of interest, however, to consider

the objections to the scheme raised by the Chinese

members of the Legislative Council. Briefly these

are:

(1) The abolition of the "free allowance"

and the substitution of a charge for each

1,000 gallons consumed.

(2)

(3)

The possibility that the consumer, and

would pay

in particular the poor consumer,

more under the new scheme than under the old.

The fact that the 2 per cent. charge on

rates, which is maintained as a payment for

general supplies of water, would fall too

heavily on the landlords, and that, as rates

contributed nearly one-sixth of the total

revenue of the Colony, the charge is too high.

The fact that an annual charge of

$300,000 was debited against expenditure for

the purpose of setting up a renewals fund

(4)

and