Sessional_Paper_1900 — Page 509

HONGKONG.

REPORT ON THE ASSESSMENT FOR 1900-1901,

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of

His Excellency the Governor.

503

No. 32

1900

ASSESSOR'S OFFICE, HONGKONG, 19th July, 1900.

SIR,I have the honour to submit my Report on the Assessment for the year 1900-1901.

2. The City of Victoria.--The result of the new Valuation is that the Rateable Value of the City of Victoria is, in the list which came into force on the 1st instant, $4,996,525 as compared with last year's (1899-1900) Assessment $4,241,919—an increase in Rateable Value of $754,606, equivalent to 17.79 per cent.

3. The Hill District.-The Rateable Value of the Hill District is now $159,145 against $149,875 last year-an increase of $9,270 or 6.18 per cent.

4. Hongkong Villages.--The Rateable Value of the Hongkong Villages has been raised from $176,063 to $196,019-an increase of $19,956 or 11.33 per cent.

5. Kowloon Point.—The Rateable Value of the Kowloon Point or Tsim Tsa Tsui District has increased from $144,530 to $156,765-a difference of $12,235 equal to 8.46 per cent.

6. Kowloon Villages.-The Rateable Value of the Villages comprising the remainder of British Kowloon is now $347,937 as compared with $274,447 last year-

--an increase of $73,490 or 26.77 per cent,

7. The Whole Colony.-The Rateable Value of the whole Colony is now $5,856,391 as compared with last year's Assessment of $4,986,834—an increase of $869,557 or 17.43 per cent.

8. Interim Valuations.-During the period from 1st July, 1899, to 1st June, 1900, Interim Valuations have been made as follows:

In the City of Victoria.

147 new and/or rebuilt tenements, rateable value,..

.$192,240

118 improved tenements, rateable value,.........

Replacing Assessments, amounting to

.$104,890

66,415

38,475

230,715

53 Assessments cancelled, tenements pulled down, or being in

other respects not rateable,........

42,730

Increase in City of Victoria,

.$187,985

In the rest of the Colony.

178 new and/or rebuilt tenements, rateable value,

13 improved tenements, rateable value,............

Replacing Assessments, amounting to

.....$ 56,905

$1,880

840

1,040

57,945

149 Assessments cancelled, tenements pulled down, or being

in other respects not rateable,

9,266

Increase in the Rest of the Colony......$ 48,679

The total number of tenements affected by Interim Valuations being 653.

9. Vacant Tenements.—The number of reported vacant tenements in the City of Victoria inspected under section 35 of the Rating Ordinance average l about 110 monthly against 85 last year.