, 1908-01-04

otherwise have appeared with 336,OOO; we
all know that in a bad year not only are the
exports reduced but the imports too are
lessened, a poor crop has an influence also
on the inrpor, duty, because less means are
available. Then, the Export Duty, we have
now two objects of taxation; Sugar, which
might otherwise have been put down at
$4,000, can not be put for the coming year
at that figure, but only at 5000 the crop
cannot be estimated larger than 4 1000 hhds.
az inst 10000 90 an average of last years !;
and as for Cotton, even Wi Ii the present
high prices for the article, we can scarcely
reckon at the very highest on more than
$1,000 duty with a production OF 100 to
125 TBS cotton per acre. The ofher items OF
The Revenue have, as usual, been posted
with the average of the revenue for the last
3 years. But with special regard to the
Excise Duty on Rum, Government has car
rice out the item with 10000 Fr. o. the
basis Of a consumption of 10000 gallons, at
the rate fixed by the Colonial Council itself
for tn rest Of the period, say Fr.1.5O but the
Municipal Committee has In its Remarks, OF
wheel a copy accompanies the Budget, dis
believed that there viii be such q c0usnnIp-
ton in the coming year, partly on account Of
the scarcity Of money, and partly on account
of the small crop and rum production. The
excise duty on Ram IN the past half Of this
wear has given an income OF 10000 francs,
in spite of the strong competition by the
large stock OF foreign bad spirits that was in
the market Government had tried to pre-
vent the formation Of such a stock, by a pro.
yisional Ordinance with very high duties on
such stulf5; bat the Customhouse books
SHOW that in thu one week allowed unavoiIa-
bly, for the enforcement of the Ordi-
nance, q very large importation took plac
II we get less income by the rum duty than
estimated in the budget, there is, however,
this consolation, that less rum is being con-
sumed, which is one Of the objects that
were aimed at. Turning now to the EXpen-
diture Side Of the Draft, there is not much
to say; DO supposed that at the End discus
son the Individual items will com on. He
had to thank the Municipal Committee for
the manner in which they have dealt with
this Budget, III fist one laid before the
Con$l ittee after its establishment referring
to the Remarks from said Committee, he
would beg to add, that when the COMMITTEES,
speaking of tue Ground and Building Tax
under thetnew Ordinance, which emanntel
according to the wish and initiative Of the
CD'0uial Council itself, states thai the value
Of an acre Of land eau not be put higher
than $50, aud that therefore the tax is still
very high on land, it is a m stake to pat
the matter in that way e,t8tes have been
bought from time TO time with those rates
of taxation, and the purchasers have paid
the value according to that burden more
over it is we'll known that Squatters rent
land from estates at the rate of n to $40
pr. acre yearly, scarcely of the best land
this is the interest Of q capital much larger
than $50 pr. acre furthermore, he would
bring to mind hat some time ago Lawyer
Stakeman wrote that the profit of
an acre of cotton land is $40 yoarly. As
regards the Municipal Committee's sugges-
ton about the Horse and Carriage Tax,
Government will instruct the Policemasters
TO observe %stricter control with the reports
on taxable objects. Under the heading Of
Import Duty the Committee asks for a re-
vision OF the Customs Import Tariff there
he would say that II Commission was ap-
pointed to frame a proposal for alterations
in the existing tariff but he has heard
nothing since from them. He would now
take the matter under consideration, and if
ne essary propose that a new Commission be
appointed to make proposals. AS regards
the marking of Sugar Hogsheads, and the
Re-Weighing of Sugar, on which one Mem
Der Of the Committee touched, he would say
that the first point rests on some old legal