4
appointed a Special Committee of its own, which under the indefatigable Mr. Ip Lan Tsun as Secretary (he later accompanied the 1924 contingent to London) did a mass of work in clearing and settling the detail, collecting the personnel, and arranging the contracts. No further meetings were necessary after the contingents left the Colony, and it became a matter in Hong Kong of detailed work within the lines laid down. This heavy task was undertaken by Messrs. Lowe, Bingham & Matthews, and most efficiently done-Reference to their services is made later on.
10. The London Committee was:
Sir Newton Stabb, Mr. W. Chatham, Mr. H. W. Bird, Mr. S. H. Dodwell, Mr. R. M. Dyer, Mr. H. W. Robertson, Mr. L. N. Leefe, and Mr. C. H. P. Hay (Hon: Secretary),
and a complicated and difficult task it was that they undertook, to have everything ready for the contingent on its arrival, which necessarily was only a short time before the Exhibition was due to open. Working at long range to keep in touch with Hong Kong requirements in a business in which there were no precedents, the satisfactory completion of their task involved the most arduous labour, and very delicate handling of the complicated interests involved in the Exhibition. Mr. C. H. P. Hay as Hon: Secretary carried the "heavy end" throughout his whole time was devoted to the work, which beyond all the details of leases, building contracts, general organisation, and diplomatic dealing, called for many visits of long hours in the atrocious weather preced- ing the Spring of 1924 to the marshy wilderness that later became Wembley. It is not possible to overrate his energy and good work in the Colony's interests, and we know that in so saying we are voicing the opinion of Sir N. J. Stabb, o.B.E., and the Home Committee. During the two years' currency of the Exhibition Mr. Hay was always ready and available to give advice and assistance :- -as indeed was the whole Committee. Fortunately however it was rarely necessary to trouble others than Mr. Hay and the Chairman Sir Newton Stabb: who as was only to be expected never spared himself and was a tower of strength throughout.
11. The original conception of the "Hong Kong Street" is to be credited to Mr. H. W. Bird, and the work of designing it and of seeing it carried into effect was through- out personally directed by him. Mr. Bird's holiday to England early in 1924 fortunately for us enabled him to combine the views of the Hong Kong and the London Committees. Practical requirements were embodied with no sacrifice of the essential local colouring: and the generally artistic design of the Hong Kong Pavilion became one of the outstand- ing features of the Exhibition Architecture.
12. The general health of the contingents through both years was remarkably good; under conditions where trouble in this respect need have occasioned no surprise. The credit for this satisfactory state of things belongs to Dr. O. Marriott, who organised a complete medical system which could have dealt with any emergency, and who paid frequent visits to the Section and the Quarters, and knew (we believe) the health con- dition of every member of both contingents.
13. The financial and accounting work of both years was entrusted to Messrs. Lowe, Bingham and Matthews: a particularly convenient arrangement for us in view of the Firm's establishments in London and in Hong Kong. Mr. Fleming at this end, aud Mr. Layton and Mr. Ballard in London took the closest personal interest in the success of the enterprises, and from the beginning to the end did a great deal of work far beyond the limits of treasury work. At this end they performed all the duties of an Export Firm and in 1924 when each exhibitor was an independent merchant, and each required a separate and very detailed account and check, this became a particularly arduous business which has involved correspondence, research, interviews, and disputes, well into 1927. Much of the work was properly secretarial only: Messrs. Lowe, Bingham and Matthews in fact became the Exhibition Agents, and accepted and performed with complete efficiency the whole duty. The requirements of London differed in character, but were even more exacting. In 1924 the scheme involved the opening of separate accounts for all exhibitors, and elaborate stock taking checks for the calculation of per- centages, and much work (and no little dispute) about transport and storage charges (which were payable by each exhibitor from the time of the ship's arrival in England): while in 1925, though the administration was simplified by the fact that all stocks were