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SHANGHAI
under the proposed new Regulations. The qualification for councillors north of the Yang-king-pang is the payment of rates to the amount of fifty taels annually, or being a householder paying rates on an assessed rental of twelve hundred taels. For the French Concession the requirement is a monetary one of about the same amount. Several enorts have been made to amalgamate the French with the other Settlements, but hitherto without success. A revision of the Régle- ments for the French Concession has for some time been under consideration. Meetings of ratepayers are held in February or March of each year, at which the bud- gets are
new Councils instructed as to the policy they are to pursue. No important measure is undertaken without being referred to a special ineeting of ratepayers.
The Council divides itself into Defence, Finance, Watch, and Works Cominittee. This cosmopolitan system of government has for many years worked so well and so cheaply that Shanghai has fairly earned for itself the name of "The Model Settlement.
the voted and
FINANCES
The Ordinary Revenue of the "Anglo-American" Settlement for 1897 amounted to Tls. 640,006.14, and was derived as follows:--
Land Tax, four-tenths of 1 per cent.
•
General Municipal Rates, Foreign Houses, 8 per cent. General Municipal Rates, Native Houses, 10 per cent. Wharfage Dues, including $14,000 Contribution from Taotai Licences, principally vehicles and opium shops
...Tls. 110,88.4.75
67,246.92 206,321.20 70,378.83
*
185,172.44
Tls. 640,006.14
The Ordinary Expenditure for the same year was Tls. 592,900.01, and was divided among the different departments as under :--
Police Department
Sanitary Department, including Hospitals and Markets Lighting Tls. 35,146.94, Water Supply Tls. 12,118.33... Public Works & Survey, incldg. Garden, Cemeteries, and outside roads Land and Buildings
...
...
...Tls. 141,864.17
83,344.14
47,265.27
122,164.71
8,045.96
Secretariat, Legal, and General
65,911.33
Interest on Loans of 1888, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, '96 and '97, &c. Volunteers Tls. 17,445.52, Fire Dept. Tls. 9,558.90, Band Tls. 7,926.29 Education Tls. 8,000.00, aluseum I'ls. 500, Library Tls. 1,000 ..... Local Post Office Tls. 1,499.19, Stock and Stores Tls. 13,418.15 Loan of 1888, debentures paid
30,856.38
34,930.71
9,500.00
14,917.34
35,000.00
Tls. 592,900.01
Two Loans were issued during 1897, amounting to Tls. 268,800, to which was added Tls. 47,106.13, surplus on Ordinary Income and Expenditure in 1897, making Tls. 315,906.13. Against this was expended to cover deficit in 1896 Tls. 70,501.27, and for Public Works, including Tls. 99,834.56, on account of Market and Drill Hall, Tls. 240,840.15, leaving a surplus of Tis. 4,064.71 to Extraordinary Budget for 1898.
The Debt of the Municipality at the close of 1897 was Tls. 1,079,701 and the Assets were valued at Tls. 1,236,254. This may seem a somewhat small margin, but the Municipality has as yet been able to procure at five per cent. as much money as it has required.
1
The Ordinary Municipal Revenue for 1898 was estimated at Tls. 717,843.00 and the Ordinary Expenditure at Tls. 717,368.00; the Extraordinary Reve ue, to be procured by the issue of Debentures, at Tls. 274,564.71 and the Extraordinary Expenditure at Tis. 273,000.00. It was decided at the Ratepayers Meeting in 1898 to raise the Land Tax and the rates on Foreign Houses each by twenty-five per cent.
The Revenue of the French Concession for 1897 was Tls. 230,114.54. The sources from which it was derived were:-
Land Tax, four tenths of 1 per cent.
Foreign House Tax, 4 per cent.
Native House Tax, 8 per cent.
Licences, principally vehicles, brothels, and opium shops ... Cleaning and Lighting Rates and other Taxes Paid by the Taotai and Rent of Quays and Jetties
...
...Tls. 15,759.97
2,887.76
39,940.85
68,180.24
29,049.85
16,603.39
57,692.48
Tls. 230,114.54
Miscellaneous Receipts Tls. 7,083.06, Surplus from 1896 Tls. 50,609.42
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