Sessional_Paper_1895 — Page 441

HONGKONG.

THE ACTING ASSESSOR'S REPORT ON THE ASSESSMENT FOR 1895-96.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of

His Excellency the Governor.

437

No. 29

95

ASSESSOR'S OFFICE,

8th June, 1895.

SIR.I have the honour to subunit my Report on the Assessment for the ensuing year 1895-96. 2. By order of His Excellency the Governor in Council, the existing Valuation of the Colony has been adopted for the ensuing year.

3. Since taking over the duties of office as Acting Assessor in June last, Interim Valuations have been made by me as follows:-----

From 1st July, 1894, to 30th April, 1895.

In the City of Victoria.

42 new tenements, rateable value

5 improved tenements, rateable value, Replacing Assessments,..

7 Assessments cancelled, tenements removed,

Increase in City of Victoria,

In the Rest of the Colony.

54 new tenements, rateable value,...

1 improved tenement, rateable value,

Replacing Assessments,.

61 Assessments cancelled, tenements removed, .

$38,510

$4.290 3,280

1.010

$39,520 1.780

$37.740

.$25,947

$5,000 3,600

1,400

$65,087 1,844

Total increase from Interim Assessinents,

$63,243

4. The rateable value of the property in the enclosed area of Taipingshan resumed by the Government under Ordinance 8 of 1894 amounted to $58,805 including the old Taipingshan Police Station which was leased at an Annual Rent of $360, and excluding 6 tenements not rated for reason of occupancy, viz., free school and temples.

5. For the ensuing year therefore the rateable value of property in the enclosed area of Taiping- shan amounting to $58,805 has been omitted from the Valuation List of Tenements in the City of Victoria.

6. By including Interim Valuations, and increasing the rateable value of several tenements some- what under assessed, the amount of valuation for the City of Victoria for the new year 1895-96 is $3,160,874 as against $3,179,999 for present year, or a decrease of 0.6 per cent.

7. The Hill District, Hongkong Villages and Kowloon Peninsula shew an increase as compared with the preceding year, arising from new tenements having been rated for the first time, and aggre- gating an increase of $25,503 or 5.02 per cent.

S. I attach a tabular statement giving a comparison of the valuations for 1894-95 and 1895-96 for the whole of the Colony.

9. The number of tenements reported vacant, and inspected under section 35 of the Rating Ordinance has averaged 250 monthly, a number somewltat in excess of any corresponding month in the preceding year. The above number, however, does not include some 60 tenements outside the enclosed area of Taipingshan which were closed during the plague and unfit for human habitation, and at this date remain unoccupied.