Sessional_Paper_1902 — Page 900

HONGKONG,

REPORT ON THE BLUE BOOK FOR 1901.

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

No. 390.

GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HONGKONG, 29th August, 1902.

801

No. 1902

44

SIR,I have the honour to submit the following general Report in connection with the Blue Book for 1901.

I.-FINANCES.

The Revenue for the year 1901, exclusive of Land Sales, was $3,973,578, or $636,523 more than the estimate; inclusive of Land Sales the total revenue was $4,213,893. The Expenditure, exclusive of the cost of Public Works Extraordinary, was $3,723,249, or $455,317 more than the estimate; including the heavy outlay on Public Works Extraordinary, the total expenditure was $4,111,722. There was thus an excess of Revenue over Expenditure of $102,171.

The sources of Revenue which proved most productive and were chiefly res- ponsible for the excess of actual over estimated receipts were the opium monopoly, the assessed taxes, chair and jinricksha and some other forms of licences, the Post Office, and stone quarries.

The items which yielded a smaller sum than the estimate were not numerous, and represented no very large amounts, with the exception of the item of New Territory Land Revenue, from which a sum of $140,000 had been anticipated and only $28,783 received. This return, however, compares well with that of 1900, when only $1,300 was collected from this source. As has already been pointed out in New Territory Reports, the difficulties in connection with the settlement of land claims make the collection of Crown Rent a slow process.

The figures quoted above do not represent the whole of the revenue derived from the New Territory during 1901, as they do not include its share in the consi- derable increases to general Revenue derived from the opium monopoly and other miscellaneous sources.

The amount realised from land sales was much less than that realised in 1900. In that year more than $816,000 was received from this source; in 1901 only $240,315, or nearly $160,000 less than the estimate.

(.)-GENERAL REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE.

The following is a brief abstract of the heads of Revenue and Expenditure for 1900 and 1901 :-

REVENUE.

1900.

1901.

Increase.

Decrease.

$

Light Dues,

Licences and Internal Revenue not other-

wise specified,

55,379.38 58,375.98

2,996.60

1,847,272.78 2,270,145.69

422,872.91

Fees of Court, &c.,

Post Office,

Rent of Government Property,

Interest, ...

295,386.11 284,453.22 325,603.33 355,912.74 482,777.27 555,469.58

1.14.

932.89

30,309.41 72,692 31

1.14

Miscellaneous,

238,910.74

280,100.36

41,189.62

Water Account,

151,034.87

169,119.45

18,034.58

Land Sales,

816,222.92

240,315.06

575,907.86

Total,....

4,202,587.40 | 4,213,893.22

588,146.57 576,840.75

Deduct Decrease,

Nett Increaes,..

576,840.75

$11,305.82

50-8.9.02.

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