CHINA LIGHT AND POWER
(Continuation)
pl=poses in the City of Canton. As the danger of disa is greatly feared in Canton we hope, in time to increase this service of water mains and derive a steady income from them the cost of working the pump not being very great.
"Of course there have been the usual difficulties in starting a plant where Chinese, who have to be newly trained for the work, are employed aggravated in this case by the situation of the Station in the midst of Chinese and remote from any foreign influence, and much credit is due to our manager, Mr. Belden, for the patience and determination with which he faced these obstacles and set himself to teach and train the raw native workmen.
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"As for Kowloon, we have been in the hands of the contractor, and the work has dragged along and not been done..... Every kind of threat and entreaty has been used to urge on the work, but to little purpose and it is still a case of hope deferred and excuse after excuse for more men not being employed. However, the end is approaching, and we have some hopes that in three months' time we shall have the machinery all installed and the works running.
"We have a valuable piece of ground of about 60,000 square feet, on Des Voeux Road, and although the plant is at present only on a very moderate scale, provision is made for any future additions and extensions. With the uncertainty as to when we should be ready, we have not made any contract but we have little doubt that between the Government, the Military authorities, the Dock Company and other factories and private consumers, it will not be long before we have found a market for all we can supply with the present installation and shall next be thinking of extending the works...
"There being no questions the Chairman proposed and Mr. J. H. Lewis seconded, that the reports and accounts as presented be adopted and passed. The motion was carried.
"On the proposition of Mr. D.E. Brown seconded by Mr. Fung Wa-chun, it was agreed that Mr. C.P. (Later Sir Paul) Chater, and Mr. J.H. Lewis in place of Mr. H.P. White resigned be elected the Consulting Committee for the year.
The origin of the China Light and Power Co. Ltd., which was incorporated in 1901, but had an earlier nucleus in Canton, was referred to yesterday.
Its first Kowloon plant was erected in 1902, this was situated off Chatham Road, in the Hung Hom district and consisted of a comparatively small installation. The increased business however, has called for increase of plant from time to time, involving extension of the station and its site.
It was in 1920 that the Company obtained a new site at Taiwan on the foreshore of Kowloon Bay, where a big station was erected and an additional area adjacent to the generating station was acquired in 1926, a further acquisition a few years ago giving a total to-day of about 74 acres, with a fine sea frontage. One of the biggest extensions of plant took place in 1930.