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10. Appeals.-Notices of Appeal under section 15 of the Rating Ordinance were lodged against the assessments of eleven tenements. The appeals were heard by the Court on 21st June, and resulted in a reduction in Rateable Value amounting to $370.

11. Tabular Statements.-The usual tabular statements giving comparisons of the Valuation for 1898-99 and the new Valuation for 1899-1900 are attached.

12. Staff-There has been no change in the Staff during the year. Mr. CHA YUNG-CHÉUNG, Clerk, and Mr. CHEUNG YUK-FAI have discharged their duties to my satisfaction. I would again respectfully suggest that the salaries of these officers should be increased. The pay of clerk and interpreter is the same now as it was in 1888. C.S.O..

13. New Territories.-I would draw attention to the positions of Kowloon City, Kowloon Tong, and Chinese Sham Shui Po, which are now merged into the original British Kowloon Peninsula, and would suggest that the whole of these should be treated, for Rating purposes, in the same manner as the other villages in the peninsula. In the case of Chinese Shain Shui Po, which was formerly sepa- rated from British Sham Shui Po or Fuk Tsun Heung by a bamboo fence, now removed, houses in Fuk Tsun Heung are charged rates, whereas those on the Sham Shui Po side of the boundary are free. I have ascertained from the Land Office that there are between 250 and 300 owners of property in Chinese Sham Shui Po.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient Servant,

The Honourable

A. M. THOMSON,

Colonial Treasurer.

Table A.

THE CITY OF VICTORIA.

No.

DISTRICT NAME.

VALUATION, 1898-1899.

VALUATION, 1899-1900.

:

ARTHUR CHAPMAN,

Assessor.

PERCENT-

INCREASE.

DECREASE.

AGE.

1 Kennedy Town,

63,780

76,445

12,665

2

Shek Tong Tsui,

147,274

159,654

12,380

3

Sai Ying Pun,

834,290

882,495

48,205

4

Tai Ping Shan,

326,680

363,640

36,960

5

Sheung Wan,

500,381

537,685

37,304

6

Chung Wan,

1,535,742

1,755,970

220,228

7

Ha Wan, .....................

158,855

178,895

20,040

8

Wan Tsai,

142,405

165,035

22,630

9

Bowrington,

44,115

39,120

4,995

10

Soo Kon Poo,

75,055

82,980

7,925

3,828,577

4,241,919

418,337

4,995

Deduct Decrease,..

4,995

Total Increase,

413,342

%

10.79