SINGAPORE BASE

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 85, 20 October 1928, Page 20

SINGAPORE BASE

DIVIDING THE COST OF GARRISON 'The British Government's reply to the Singapore Colony's recent protest against the inclusion in the cost of tho garrison recoverable from colonial funds of items connected with the naval base (made on. the ground that the, base is required, not for the defence of the colony as such, but as part of the scheme of Empire defence generally) has been tabled in the Legislative Council, .says a Reuter message. The reply states that tho Imperial Government considers the following to be a fair arrangement:— 1. That all military expenditure on the initial formation of the Singapore base should be borne finally by \ the Army votes. <, 2. That for all other military expenditure the colony should pay the full ordinary cost of the garrison, including that of any military personnel added to the garrison as the new defences are manned, including tho cost of the maintenance of the defences both old and new. 3. That the statutory, maximum percentage of revenue to be contributed by the colony should not be reduced, but should remain at the long-estab-ished figure of 20 per cent, of assessable revenue. The Press points out that if the Colonial Office proposals are enforced the next payment by the colony will exceed tho amount paid last year by 1,----500,000 dollars. The unofficial members of the Legislative Council, in a letter to the Press, express themselves as being strongly of opinion that the colony should pay to the Home Government only the cost of a garrison sufficient for local defence, and not the cost of the naval base, which is an Imperial matter. The signatories point out that they consider it an inequitable principle that because the base is situated at Singaport owing to its. strategical position, the colony should have to pay more than the other colonies and Dominions, which are equally affected by the, base. If, in a year's time, it became necessary to double the size of tho base, the colony would presumably bo expected •to meet the, additional costi The signatories consider that 5,000,----000 dollars Would bo an equitable figure to take, as the cost of the local defence only for the present and for the next few years.