CO129-582-7 Taxation 6-6-1939 - 5-2-1940 — Page 176

No.3209/1938.

My dear (art.

2

GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

177

HONG KONG,

7th June, 1939.

(1)

I am sending in an official despatch a copy of the report of the Taxation Committee appointed as foreshadowed in my address to the Legislative Council on the occasion of the 1939 budget. The most important recommendation of that Committee is that we should have an expert inquiry on the subject of the feasibility of income tax, and in my despatch I have asked for approval in principle of the appointment of an expert to conduct such investigation. The man we should actually like to secure if he were available is Huxham of Ceylon, who will of course be well known to you and whose experience makes him almost uniquely well qualified for such an inquiry. Caine has with my permission already written to Huxham to ask if such a job would be personally agreeable to him, but I do not wish to put it forward officially yet. At the same time I think you should be aware of the action taken lest you should approach him independently or should open negotiations with some other possible expert.

Jos my

smarch

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

Colonial Office,

London.

(. And hontherto