REPORT FROM THE LAND COMMISSION OF 1886-87.
xxxi
The Commissioners have received returns from the Naval and Military Authorities which they have appended to this their report. From these returns it would appear that the Naval authorities have in their possession:-
In Victoria; Naval Yard,
Mt. Shadwell,
""
11
Hongkong, Mt. Gough,
A. R. P.
..4.3.26
..6.3.33
...4.3.23
..........5.0. 3
Out of Victoria; Kowloon,
At Stone Cutters' Island the use of a rifle range extend-
ing to 600 yards,.
At Kowloon the use of a rifle range extending to 400 yds.
say 22 acres or 958,320 square feet.
A. 21.3. 5
And the Military Authorities have in their possession about 337 acres or 13,579,720 square feet. Some of this land is at Stone Cutters' Island and some at the Peak.
But in addition to this the Commissioners understand that there are tracts of land more especially at Kowloon and at the back of Kennedy Road, which owing to the restrictions placed upon them by the Military Authorities the Government is unable to dispose of, although otherwise readily saleable.
The amount occupied by the Naval and Military Authorities in the centre of the Town, and cutting the Town in two, is:-By the Naval Authorities 4 acres-or at the rate of 43,560 square feet to the acre-206,910 square feet; and by the Military Authorities, 84 acres, or 3,659,040 square feet. In addition to which the proposed reclamations in front of the Naval and Military Establishments, except what is wanted for the new Praya are claimed as follows:-By the Naval Authorities 2 acres or 108,900 square feet, and by the Military, 6 acres, or 261,360 square feet, making a grand total of 4,236,410 square feet.
ļ
It has been pointed out to the Commissioners, by several persons, that the City of Victoria is really divided into two Towns, and the effect of the recent purchases by the Military Authorities has been to make things worse than they were before, both in regard to their having turned out a number of people having to seek for some other places in which to live and carry on their businesses, and that from the fact of their having dispossessed and turned out all these people from the Queen's Road they have more than ever divided the Town into two complete parts.
The land now occupied by the Naval and Military Authorities is extremely valuable, and has for some time been steadily increasing in value, and, although it might not be advisable to put the whole of the land into the Market at once, yet, with the present increasing population of the Colony, it would be rapidly absorbed, and the Government would not only get the premium for it, but a large Crown Rent.
In addition to this, as soon as the land is covered with houses the Government would get a large
amount for rates.
There are other measures which could be carried out, in the event of the Government arranging for the Naval and Military Authorities to give up a sufficient quantity of the land they now occupy, such as tramways, reclamation of the foreshore, and other reclamations advantageous to be effected, all of which would tend to increase the general revenue of the Colony.
If the Naval and Military Authorities even gave up only the land to the North of the Queen's Road it would be very much to the public advantage.
Although the Commissioners are aware that there is great objection to giving up, on the part of the Naval and Military Authorities, of any portion of their land, yet the Commissioners think that