Colonial Office Petitions, 1933-1950

IDENTITY STATEMENT AREA

Reference code(s): ICS 112

Title: Colonial Office Petitions, 1933-1950

Date(s): 1933 - 1950

Level of description: Fond

Extent and medium of the unit of description: 9 volumes [3 boxes, 1 large box]

CONTEXT AREA

Name of creator(s): Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Administrative/Biographical history: Proposals to introduce income tax to Kenya Colony and to the Straits Settlements were made in 1933 and 1940 respectively. In the case of Kenya there was strong opposition from colonists working in trade and commerce, who viewed the proposed legislation as detrimental to their economic viability and a removal of one of the material benefits of living and working in the colony. The petition was spearheaded by Lord Francis Scott, a Member of the Executive Council and the Legislative Council. In the Straits Settlements, while an increase in taxation was accepted in principle because of the outbreak of war, the petitioners viewed income tax as a method impossible to implement efectively and fairly, because of widespread corruption in the colony. They suggested (but did not specify) an alternative method of taxation which would be self-assessing.

In Fiji, schools for the large Indian community provided (in accordance with legislation) teaching of and in the Indian language of Hindustani only, despite there being significant numbers speaking the languages of South India, namely Tamil, Telegu and Malayalam. There had been moves to widen the teaching to include these languages in the 1930s, instigated by the then Governor, Sir Arthur Richards. Following Sir Arthur's transfer from the Colony, the matter remained in abeyance, and the petitioners sought to reactify this by appealing directly to the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

Archival history: Presented to ICS by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer:

CONTENT AND STRUCTURE AREA

Scope and content: Petitions submitted to the Secretary of State for the Colonies. They contain the text of the petition, and the names and other details of signatories.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals: No further material of this type is expected at present

System of arrangement: Chronological

CONDITIONS OF ACCESS AND USE AREA

Conditions governing access:

Conditions governing reproduction:

Language/scripts of material: English; one item contains sections in South Indian languages [Tamil, Telegu and Malayalam]

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids: A descriptive list is available in ICS Library

ALLIED MATERIALS AREA

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

Related units of description: Colonial Office material at the Public record Office includes correspondence files relating to the Kenya Income Tax petition [CO 822/51/5-6].

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION CONTROL AREA

Recorder's note:

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: February 2002

Interest: Black, Asian

Specific group:

Subjects

Colonial countries

Language instruction

Finance

Fiscal policy

Taxation

Income tax

Personal/Corporate names

Places

Singapore

Malaysia

Malaya

South East Asia

Malay Peninsula

East Africa

Kenya

Asia and the Pacific

Oceania

Fiji