- 137
their full complement of traffic. The land is constantly rising in value. It does not seem to be wise to add to the existing congestion by berthing large steamers in this area".
At a joint meeting of the General Committee and the Shipping Sub-Committee of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce held on the 4th of September 1923, Mr. Fletcher (acting Colonial Secretary) is reported to have said :-
CC
The idea of making provision in West Point was abandoned for two reasons, the main one being that the district was already very congested. Handling difficulties would only be increased if the attempt were made to provide further wharfage facilities in a district in which traffic was already heavy. The area would be a jumble of goods wagons, trams and other traffic and it must be remembered that it was already densely populated. The alter- natives were either to remove godown business from that part of the town, giving it up to office purposes only, or take the risk of further congesting it, thereby sending up the value of land enormously and making cargo business impracticable on account of the enormous expense. Precise details had not been gone into thoroughly but Mr. Duncan assures me that the cost of developing the West Point district with wharves and transit godowns would be prohibitive. If the thing was to be done properly, it would be necessary to remove the tramway from the harbour front and so provide free access to godowns. An estimate was obtained by the Govern- ment for driving a short length of road at Western Market in order to join Des Voeux Road Central and Des Voeux Road West, and it was estimated that it would cost $4,500,000 merely to resume the land. If the scheme actually went forward, it would probably cost a much greater sum. If enormous costs were to be piled up in this way, it would be impossible to make any harbour scheme profitable".
Nevertheless, to decide definitely whether development in this area is practicable by reclamation and the erection of transit sheds and warehouses thereon so that the existing front road would become a back road and congestion be thereby relieved, I had 39 borings of the harbour bottom taken between the Western Market and Kennedy Town. The minimum and maximum depths reached were 63′ 7′′ and 118′ 9′′, respectively, below the level of L. W.O.S.T., the minimum and maximum penetration mostly in very soft mud being 28' 0" and S3' 0", respectively, below the surface of the harbour bottom. The depths at which suitable foundations exist varies from 50 feet to 100 feet below L.W.O.S.T. The present depth of water in this vicinity is about 24 feet at L.W.O.S.T.; having regard to future requirements this depth is not considered sufficient. Whilst it is susceptible of improvement, it would be necessary to dredge a channel from the China Merchants' Pier to Sulphur Channel; but such dredged channel, in any opinion, could only be maintained at a high recurrent cost. For the foregoing reasons, an economic and practicable scheme on this portion of the harbour front can not be designed. Provision for the economic handling of the rice, sugar and flour trades must therefore be made at another locality and if possible, on the Hongkong side of the harbour on which side business in these commodities is largely carried on.
Hongkong (Central)
The large passenger and cargo trade with riverine ports, local ferry services and an Drawing amount of local trade, are centred between the Western and Central Markets. These No. 2. trades should continue to be carried on in this locality which is best suited for them, and where economic provision can be constructed to accommodate the craft engaged and to better regulate the passenger traffic and improve the present congestion on Connaught Road Central.
Hongkong (Causeway Bay and Kennedy Town).
No, 2.
Under the present system of importing frozen meat, delivery is taken by junks and Drawing lighters from ships moored in the stream and conveyed to cold storage at Causeway Bay. Delay, exposure and frequent man handling of frozen meat should be eliminated as far as possible in its importation. No provision exists on the Hongkong side of the harbour whereby steamers, engaged in the importation, for slaughter, of live cattle, sheep and swine, can go alongside wharves couvenient to lairage. The method at present adopted