CO129-582-7 Taxation 6-6-1939 - 5-2-1940 — Page 147

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E/G 736/19/1

21st September 1939.

Dear Gent,

I refer to your semi-official letter of

the 19th August covering an official letter which

dealt with a proposal from Hong Kong that we should

recommend a suitable man to conduct an expert

investigation into the feasibility of an Income Tax

in that Colony.

I am sorry we have not been able to deal

with the matter earlier, but you will appreciate

the circumstances. The outbreak of war has, of

course, materially altered our own position.

We have informed the Treasury, with great regret,

that we cannot even second any more of our Inspectors

for emergency duties in the home Civil Service.

We should most probably have to require

Chambers to return straight to assist us as soon

as his time in India is over. This can of course

wait until he is released from India, but it may be

/desirable

G.E.J. Gent, Esq., D.S.O., 0.B.E., M.C.