Sessional_Paper_1897 — Page 495

HONGKONG,

REPORT ON THE ASSESSMENT FOR 1897-98.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor.

No.

489

ASSESSOR'S OFFICE, HONGKONG, 17th July, 1897.

2

97.

SIR, I have the honour to submit my Report on the Assessment for the year 1897-98. 2. By Order of His Excellency the Governor in Council I have made a new Valuation of the City of Victoria and the Hill District.

3. The result of the new Valuation is that the Rateable Value of the City of Victoria is now -$3,444,514 as against $3,247,726 last year (1896-97), being an increase in Rateable Value of $196,788

or 6.05 per cent.

4. The Rateable Value of the Hill District has been raised from $107,850 last year (1896-97) to $117,435, being an increase of $9,585 or 8.88 per cent.

5. The Rateable Value of the Kowloon Peninsula has increased $8,130 or 2.55 per cent., on account of new and improved tenements; and, owing to a similar cause, there is a small increase of $254 in the Rateable Value of the Hongkong Villages.

6. The Rateable Value of the whole Colony is now $4,040,502, an increase, as compared with last year's Assessment, of $214,757 or 5.61 per cent.

7. During the period from 1st July, 1896, to 1st June, 1897, Interim Valuations have been made as follows:--

In the City of Victoria.

314 new tenements, rateable value.....

41 improved tenements, rateable value Replacing Assessments, amounting to

$119,465

......$ 26,745 21,725

5,020

95 Assessments cancelled, tenements pulled down..

Increase in City of Victoria..........

In the Rest of the Colony.

$ 124,485 32,745

.$ 91,740

53 new tenements, rateable value......

$ 11,848

6 improved tenements, rateable value .........

.$ 1,680

Replacing Assessments, amounting to

909

771

$ 12,619 2,759

65 Assessments cancelled, tenements pulled down.........

Increase in the Rest of the Colony....... ..$ 9,860

The total number of tenements affected by Interim Assessments being 574 and the increase in Rateable Value $101,600.

8. The number of reported vacant tenements in the City of Victoria inspected under section 35 of the Rating Ordinance is, I am pleased to report, smaller, having averaged about 170 monthly against 250 last year.

9. The usual tabu'ar statements giving comparisons of the Valuation for 1896-97 and the new Valuation for 1897-98 are attached.

10. The Staff has been unchanged; Mr. CH'AN PUI, clerk, and Mr. Ie YUK PUI, interpreter, have discharged their duties to my satisfaction.

L

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient Servant,

The Honourable

T. SERCOMBE SMITH,

Colonial Treasurer.

ARTHUR CHAPMAN,

Assessor.

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