621
"A"
Supplement to Mr. A. Shelton Hooper's Report.
Howard and Stephens' Godowns.
I was acquainted with the Godowns on Marine Lot 183 before they were reduced in area.
I estimate that the cúbic contents were about 728,850 cubic feet.
I see by the assessment that the assessment was $7,000 per annum from 1895 to 1898, then $6,600 from 1898 to 1899.
I estimate the cubic contents of Howard's Godowns at 1,081,789. The buildings are similar in plan and similarly situated.
If Howard's Godowns had been let at the same rate the rent would have been $10,389 for the period 1895 to 1898; $9,796 from 1898 to 1899.
This shows a slight depreciation of the property (Marine Lot 183) which cannot have been caused by the Reclamation as the access to the sea was not impeded.
The newly reclaimed Marine Lot 105 was sold in 1893 for $37,489.16 that works out at $3.76 per square foot.
B 10.
(Sd.) A. SHELTON HOOPER.
Supplement to Mr. Boulton's Report.
Howard and Stephens' Godown.
In 1887 the Hongkong and Kowloon Wharf and Godown Company under- took to reclaim the foreshore opposite Marine Lots 95, 96, 97, 98 and 105; leaving the old Praya 50 feet wide they were to go out 250 feet from the old Praya Wall, and of the reclaimed area they were to have 200 feet for buildings and to give up the outside 50 feet for the New Praya.
When the 1889 scheme was adopted it was proposed that the Old Praya should be 65 feet wide and the New Praya 75 feet wide, so that the Godown Company had to give up a strip 15 feet wide along their inland frontage and a strip 25 feet wide along the sea frontage, thus reducing the depth of the Godowns and putting them 25 feet further from the sea.
After negotiation they agreed to accept $105,000 for the surrender of these strips.
The area surrendered was about 21,000 square feet, so that the price works out at about $5 a foot, but this is no criterion of the value of the lots.
These lots are also considerably nearer the centre of the Town, and therefore more valuable than Marine Lot 184.
As to silting up—
I surveyed the foreshore opposite Marine Lot 184 in October, 1889, August, 1892, August, 1894, July, 1895, and February, 1896. I produce a plan dated 3rd March, 1896, showing those surveys in detail. There was some slight shoaling from various causes, but nothing that would affect the access of the cargo boats to the Godowns, as the shoaling occurred where the water was deepest.
Ordinary cargo boats have a draught of 6 or 7 feet when fully laden.
After March, 1896, the causes which had produced the shoaling ceased to operate, and judging by my previous surveys I should say that there was no appreciable silting between March, 1896, and 1899.
(Sd.) J. F. BOULTON.