"You will recall," Mr. Wang said, "the attempt made' by the Council in 1927 to Impose a similar increase and how, as a result of the opposition of the ratepayers. "this was marked extra' and eventually done away with two years later. 'This year, under the chairmanship of Mr. H. B, Arnhold, the Council' revived ts oid request and decided, in the face of the unanimous opposition of its Chinese members, to submit for the approval Of the ratepayers a resolution calling for increase in the General and Spe-lat Municipal Rates by 2 per cent. and Land Tax by 1 per mille, the decision having been reached by a bare majority-five votes of dissent as against six votes of assent, two Japanese members having abstained from voting.
"The Municipal Budget, the income side of which has been augmented by the proposed increase, was first debated upon by the Council's Finance Committee on March 22 under the chairmanship of Mr. Arnhold. Tt was disclosed during the meeting that the rentals of houses had in many cases reduced as much as 30 per cent. and as a result of the shortage of revenue consequent thereof an increase in rates was rendered imperative. Over~ Fiding the opposition of the Chinese members, the Chairman sought 10 justify the increase by emphasizing its meagerness and pointed out that to the resident paying $10 in rent the Increase meant only twenty cents "On March 24, a special meeting of the Council was called to consider the Fecommendation of the Finance mmmittee, and considering the short Interval of time between the meeting of the Committee and that of the Council, the Japanese members _proposed to postpone the discussion for f'week In order to allow the members suMleient time fora more thorough study of the problem, The Japanese proposal was put to vote and would have been passed by a majority of 746 it it were not for the second oF costing vote exercised by the Chairman as prescribed in the antiquated Land Regulations in contravention to ood parliamentary practice which provides odd membership ona composite body and allows the Chairman only one vote to be cast when there equality of opinion for and against 2 proposal "While the use of a casting vote is legally "permissible in. the present case, the exercise of this propagative ig fraught with grave possibilities and should therefore be with utmost car The proposal of the Japanese mem-hers. motivated as it was by deep songo of responsibility, had indeed everything to be said in its favour The use of the casting vote in this connection can not but leave great regrets behind it.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.