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CHINA LIGHT AND POWER.
One of the examples to-day of Kowloon's progress is the China Light and Power Co. Ltd. The electrical age sees this concern supplying power and light to the greater part of the mainland, an extension to various parts of the New Territories having been carried out about two years back. Yet the company only thirty-three years ago was struggling to overcome an early handicap, and its Kowloon plant was not erected until the close of 1902.
The China Light and Power Company, in fact, has a more than usually interesting history: it was originally founded in 1901, but had had its birth in Canton, bringing electrical installations to that city for the first time. Owing mainly to an inadequate plant, it was not much of a success, and when it was taken over by the Hongkong syndicate, it had to be largely revived. The Canton business was subsequently sold.
Progress in Kowloon, however, proved constant, and the next re-organisation in 1918 found the concern one of the largest and most important public utility companies operating in this part of the world.
It is one of the local companies with which Messrs. Shewan, Tomes and Co. and the late Mr. R. G. Shewan had so much to do. An interesting review of the position of the business and of its early vicissitudes was contained in Mr. Shewan's speech at the first annual meeting held in 1920, and I take the following extracts from the report of that meeting which was published in the Hongkong Telegraph of May 24, 1902:
"At the office of Messrs. Tomes, and Co., this morning, the first annual meeting was held of the China Light and Power Company, Ltd. Mr. Robert Shewan presided, and there were also present Messrs. J.H. Lewis, D.E. Brown, and Fung Wa-chun. The Chairman said: The result of the year's work at Canton is a shortage of $7,378.23, and taking all things into consideration, and the difficulties we have had to encounter there, I do not think this is at all unsatisfactory.
Mr. Shewan then referred to "the state of utter neglect and confusion that we found the place in when we took it over, and much time and money had to be spent before we could get things into anything like proper working order."
He continued: "When this was done, our next care was to add another engine and generator to be a reserve in case of accident, and also another new boiler. The old company had only one generating set, and in the event of this breaking down, their customers had simply to go without the light till it was repaired. We are very cramped for room at the factory, but we have made the most of what ground we have there, and we have kept room for one more engine and generator, which we shall no doubt require in course of time.
We are now covering our expenditure at Canton, and as our output increases there, our expenses will diminish in proportion and leave a good margin of profit. Besides the electric lighting machinery at the Station, we have a large pump for forcing water from the river through a line of water mains for fire extinguishing.