§ MR. PICTON (Leicester)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether it is a fact that the average yield of taxes on paddy and fine grain in Ceylon comes to about 850,000 rupees; and whether it costs an average of 200,000 rupees a year to collect it?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Baron H. de WORMS,) Liverpool, East ToxtethThe taxes on paddy and fine grain in Ceylon realised in 1887, 934,804 rupees; and in 1888, 937,637. The Estimate for 1890 is 945,380 rupees. The cost of collection cannot be given, as it is impossible to estimate how much of the time of the Administrative officers is devoted to this one tax, and, therefore, how much of their salaries should be charged against it.