October 25, 1902.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
pay your salaries in sterling, but I think to pass the examination or whether you receive the collect your revenue in silver dollars and pay remainder, the best men naturally going to the your servants in gold is unbusinesslike, illogical Colony in which they have the best pay. and inconsistent. The only argument that I Therefore the Secretary of State in consider. can find when I looked up Hansard, in favouring the whole matter came to the conclusion of paying sterling was that the Straits Govern- that he did arrive at, entir ly for the purpose of ment were doing it. What have we got to do securing that Hongkong will not be second in with the Government of the Straits? Another the choosing of its Civil servants, or as the point to show the worthlessness or little value choice of Civil servants, but shall have equal of the argument of officials against Layment advantages with Singapore. I am glad to have in silver is that I believe the majority of the heard the statement of the Hou. Director of officials to-day will take their salaries in silver Public Works. If things go right and and not in gold. Of course quite understand we get the additional men out, I think that the new Civil servants have to take pay- there is reasonable prospect, having regard to ment in sterling. The old ones, I understand the increase of the staff of the Public Works will take it in silver, and I do not blame them for Department, that the money will be spent. I doing so, because if silver should rise and they know I hope myself it will be spent, and I shall took their salaries in gold they would be getting be
very mach disappointed if it is not. less dollars; but I think that the outcry against (Applause.) the payment in silver was not so serious as it seemed to be at the time. The only other point I wish to draw attention to is that in the Commission (or which I had the honour to sit) on the Public Works Department, we made a special point that the estimates should only be for work which there was reasonable probability of carrying out during the year. I would ask the Hon. Director of Public Works if he expects to accomplish all the work he estimates for? In former years the work was not all carried out, and the estimates in that respect were rather misleading.
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS-The estimates, sir, have beon very carefully considered with a view to the point that the hou. member on my right has raised, and it is anticipated that the works included in the estimates will be accomplished. I may mention, sir, in connection with these works, that there are some heavy indents for machinery and pipes from England, and it is anticipated that these should arrive in the Colony in time to be charged aud paid for out of next year's estimates.
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The Bill was read a second time and referred to the Finance Committee.
CHINE E EMIGRATION,
The COLONIAL SECRETARY moved the second reading of the Bill entitled an Ordinance to amend the Chinese Emigration Consolidation Ordinance. 1889. The object of the Bill, he said, was to increase the revenue, and if read the second time he would propose that it be referred to the Finance Committee.
The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and the motion was agreed t›.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY then moved that the Bill be referred to the Finance Committee, and this motion was also seconded by the COLONIAL TREASURER and agreed to.
THE DOGS ORD NANCE.
On the motion of the COLONIAL SECRETARY, seconded by the COLONIAL TREASURER, the Bill entitled an Ordinance to amend The Dogs Ordinance, 1893. was read a second time and referred to the Finance Committee.
PROERTY IN HONGKONG.
The same course was followed in respect of the Bill entitled an Ordinance to repeal the Land Registry Office (Fees) Amendment Or- dinance, 1902: and to amend Ordinance No. 3 of 1844 entitled "An Ordinance to provide for the Registration of Deeds, Wills, Judgments, and Conveyances affecting real or immovable property in Hongkong."
LIQUOR LICENCES,
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-I beg to move the second reading of the Bill entitled an Ordinance to amend The Liquor Licences Amendment Ordinance. 1901. The object of this Bill is to increase the revenue, and I think that hon. members of this Council will agree that since more revenue is required a fitter subject. for taxation than alcoholic liquors could not be found. The only way WO have at present of increasing the revenue from alcoholic liquors is to increase the fees for the various licences. The fees for Chinese wire and spirit shops, sir, have been
the City, which do a much larger amount of business than those in the outlying districts, are taxed accordingly. beg to give notice that when this Bill is considered in committee I shall move that in Clause 3 the words 30th day of November" be inserted as the day upon which the Ordinance will come into operation.
The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
HIS EXCELLENCY-With regard to the Hon. Mr. Playfair's remarks, his first observation, I think, resolves itself into a suggestion that in the case of these works there should be a loan instead of revenue. On this matter of public loans I may say that the Secretary of State for the Colonies and the financial advisers at home are, and I thick very properly, extremely averse to a Colony like this finding itself face to face with a very large debt, because we are unlike other colonies in that we are dependent upon a very large shipping trade and derive a considerable amount of money from the ordinary traffic of the port. But we must remember in looking at the Colony that the Imperial Government are u'timately responsible as guarantors of every Crown Colony and therefore, being so, I think the Imperial Government and their advisers are extremely careful that a Crown Colony shall not find itself by any possibility in the position of being obliged to appeal to the Imperialg.adated in such a mauner that those shops in Government for assistance. Therefore it is felt that it is much safer, and on the whole much more sound, that the Colony should pay as it goes. That I think is at the bottom of the suggestion made by the hon. member--that we should borrow instead of increasing the revenue for given expenditure. The Hon. Colonial Treasurer has explained to you that the ordinary and extraordinary revenue and expenditure are indicated, and I think they are very clearly, in the accounts. The mittee, on the motion of the COLONIAL proceeds of the land sales are supposed | SECRETARY, seconded by the COLONIAL to be devoted to the payment of public works extraordinary. They are not sufficient in this case. I think it is under the circumstances allowable that for these water-works we should secure a loan, and I hope the Secr.tary of State will give us authority to do so, With reference to the observations of the Hon. Mr.. Shewan, these were a little discursive as to the question of chair-colies. I would only remind the hon, member with reference to that, that while it was shown at that Commission that one coolie had been known to earn a large amount of money in a month, it was stated, as I think he will remember, that the average life of a ricksha-coolie is three years. As regards the question of what we have to do with Singapore, we have a good deal to do with it. On the treatment of public officials in this Colony and the question whether their payment is equal to the payment in Singapore depends the question whether you gel at least an equal share of the best men who
The Eill was referred to the Finance Com-
TREASURER.
STAMP ORDINANCE.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY moved the second reading of the Bill entitled au Ordinance to amend the Stamp Ordinance, 1901. He said- The fees under the Stamp Ordinance are in the majority of cases the same to-day as they were in 168, and having regard to the great fall in exchange it seems requisite that they should now be increased.
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there, what an uproar there was, and he had to withdraw it. There is not much public opinion Therefore I suggest that four cents is quite in Hongkong, but what there is we try to voice.
enough. Then, sir, as to the receipts. There are many cases receipts are
in the Colony in which stamped amongst the Chinese, as the Senior Unfficial Member probably will know. Any
Ordinance is
people immoral, and an immoral Ordinauce if it helps to make the more the public have to do with this receipt stamp business the deeds of assignment, which you propose to more immoral you help to make them. As to
assess at $75, the Attorney-General will be able to tell you that that on be concluded by agree- ment for 81.50. Those are simply points that occur to me why I should ask you to postpone the second reading of this Bill.
The Hon. C. S. SHARP supported the sugges.
tion.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-I should like to say, sir, that the ordinary expenditure next year will exceed the ordinary revenue, and there is every reason therefore why increased taxation is necessary. The proposals now before the Council have received very careful consideration, and were an Ordinance like this to be postponed, involving as it does an estimated increase of nearly $34,000, it would upset the calculations that have been made. The hon. member who first spoke indicated certain items which ho excessive.
Bays are I must say, sir, that a receipt fee of 2 cents and fee on cheques of 2 cents at the present rate of exchange cannot be regarded as anything but ridiculous. Two cents is about the equivalent of a farthing. Five cents is the equivalent of a penny. The charge proposed does not therefore seemi to be excessivo, and it is what we are accustomed to at home. As to the Chinese evading the tax imposed by the receipt duty, it is an offence against the
w and any person doing so is liable to be prosecuted. I know it is said they evade it, but no evidence has been brought forward to show that they do, aud it is for those dealing with them to take care that they are not imposed upon in that way. Personally so far as my dealings with Chinese shop-keepers are concerned, I find they use receipt stamps like anybody else.
Hon, R. SHEWAN-I only wish to say that
friends in asking for a postponement of this I am quite willing to support my unofficial
Bill, but I am not with them in some of the suggestions they make. With regard to a deed of gift for instance-which Hoo. Mr. 'layfair objects to being taxed at $75—I think it is quite reasonable, because as a rule it is only intended to avoid paying the full tax to the Government on the property which is pass- ed over; s that I do not think in that case, 88 you are ouly aiding and abetting the persons who are making this deed of gift perhaps not exactly in defrauding the Govern ment but at least in depriving the Government of their full taxes, that $75 is out of the way. With regard to deeds in which no money con- sideration is named, these again are a means of depriving the Government of their
proper taxes and should also be heavily taxed. As to bank cheques, I am quite with the Government in saying that if they will not agree to 2 cents for cheques and of her oders for money, including compradore orders, they should make it 5 cents for cheques only, because that is much simpler and easier to deal with than a 6-cent charge.
HIS EXCELLENCY-But these are matters which can be threshed out in Committee. What is wanted here is the approval of the principle
of the Bill.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-To postpone this Bill would mean the postponement of the estimates. It is already late in the year, and the Bill should be on its way home if we expect to get on with public works at an early date next year. Moreover there is the The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, question of raising a loan that your Excellency Hon. G. W. F. PLAYFAIR-Your Excellency, has mentioned, and the Secretary of State can I would ask that the second reading of this not take that subject into consideration until he Bill be postponed until after the Financial has before him the estimates for next year and Estimates have been gous through. There the approved proposals approved by this aro several reasons for which I ask this. One Council-as to how the amounts are to be met. is with regard to bank cheques; I would, It is extremely difficult to devise any form of ask that th: duty be made four cents. taxation that will hurt nobody or will not be You may remember, when the Chancellor' of the Exchequer in England last spring tried to double the bank cheque "duty
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distasteful more or less to some member of the community. I may say, sir, that the Govern- ment have been at some pains to select such
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.