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December 6, 1909.)
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE FEPORT.
483
to make use of a piece of land for public work | where it was boiled. The occupation of this lot, resolution. The mover in his usual elegant styl and either the contractor or the Public Works otherwise than as a garden has been complained made reference to the particular spot where this Department imposed upon the Government and of by hon. members. Let me just trace, sir, so-called nuisance stands and described its created a gross nuisance which need not have the objects for which it has been so occupied. present use as a desecration of one of the existed. The Hongkong and Shanghai Bank- In the first place, there was the Praya gateways of the Colony. Now, sir, there is a in which I hold a share or two, and I am slightly Reclamation, a stupendous work for which gateway of this city of no small importance. interested in their finance-set aside two very it was necessary to have separate offices. It is the pier of the Star Ferry Company. I valuable blocks of land worth lakhs of dollars, That is the reason for the Praya Reclama- travelled over the other day with a globe-trotter which might have been covered by valuable tion Office being put on that site. And I am from a mail steamer on one of the Star Forry buildings, to the advantage of the financial afraid the Praya Reclamation Office will have to steamers, and as we approached that pier we position of the bank, adding thereby considerably main there till the officers who use it can be sawi
saw in enormous letters the word Powell. Hav to the revenue of the shareholders. That land removed to the buildings which are being pre-
was permanently set aside for the public use aad pared for them as an adjunct to the P. WID/?
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ing some acquaintance, sir, with the Far East generally and with Hongkong in partionlar I thought this was an advertisement of a new brand of what might be called by euphemism whisky; but on getting closer 1 found from other words on the placard that it did not refer to anything so pernicious, but to something- perhaps more dangerous, millinery and underwear. (Laughter.) On landing at the stage we found a ramshackle matsued which flies into the air on the occasion of every gale. Now, sir, I would ask the hon. mover of the resolution to endeavour, if he is anxious for the good ap- pearance of this gateway of the Colony, to move his hon, seconder, who has some concern with the management of the Star Ferry Company, to at auyrate remove that horrible advertise- ment. (Hear hear, and laughter.) It cannot be worth more than ten cents a month to them,
aud I might add that he should do something to beautify the matsned. (Hear. hear.) It can very easily be done, vide the matsheds erected for Chinese theatres which are quite ornamental. (Applause.)
HON. air. OSBORNE—Am I in order, sir? HIS EXCELLENCY-You are only in order in taking any personal correction.
for beautifying our city, which ought to offices. That can now be done, as the buildings be one of the most beautiful in the world, are completed, but it could not be done beforo, as wonderful effects can be obtained with very because there was no room in the PW.D. Then slight trouble with the semi-tropical vegetation the portion of the plot nearest the Club was used which flourishes here. These two valuablo to house the police while an extra storey was be- blocks of land were set aside on the distincting put on the Central Police Station. I know understanding that at the earliest possible of no other site where the police could possibly moment the Hongkong Government would make have been accommodated, as it was necessary a garden on the other side of the square, so that for them to be in a central position in the Statue Square should become not only one of the city. Then the lot was used by the Volunteers sights of the Colony, but one of the sights of while their Headquarters were being reconstruct- the Empire, for as your Excellency, in the ed. I also don't know where the Volunteers could speech which you made the other day, stated, have been conveniently placed except on that site there is probably no British colony which can One hon. member has made the usual insinuation show such magnificent works of art representing about the delay in the construction of the Post our Royal Family as we have in Hongkong Office. I think some misunderstanding has to-day. If there had been a little delay in arisen in connection with this, for I find that laying out this land, one could have said nothing, the contract for the superstructure was let in but here it goes on year after year. One excuse August, 1905, and that it was a contract of four is made after another. I think the time has years from that date. It ought, therefore, to be now arrived when the community at large completed by the end of this year, it will prob should call upon the Government to redeem the ably be a year late, but you have to take promise it made and to lay out the square as a
into account, sir, that arrangements were proper centre for the magnificent works placed made for adding to it clock
a
tower. there by the private enterprise of this Colony. I would also like to say, sir, in defence I have only to add, sir, that I think the use of of the Public Works Department, that
HON. Mr. OSBORNE -The hon. Colonial this ground has been abused, and it is only in connection with this building the Gov-
Secretary has referred to the matshed at the Star reasonable now to ask your Excellency to be ernment made a new departure, very often
Ferry wharf and its general untidy aspect and good enough to take the matter into your advocated in this Council Chamber and outside,
he has called upon the mover of this resolution to personal consideration and to see that the lanti and put up for public competition the design of
move me to get that nuisance remedied. I can promised us, to match the sacrifice made by the the building, the successful architects being after-only say, sir, that as soon as the trovernment will Bank, may become a reality.
wards responsible for providing the working move, the Star Ferry Company will move, The The COLONIAL SECRETARY-Sir, I think drawings for the use of the contractor. Now hou. Star Ferry Company asked the Government's we all sympathise with the mover of the resolu- members complain of the delay. I assert that permission some years ago to do the very thing tion and those who have supported him in the delay in this case is not attributable to any spoken of, and they uave not yet got an desiring that the plot of land to which reference deficiencies on the part of the Public Works auswer. (Laughter.) has been made should be tidied up, but I think, Department. One hon. member, sir, complained sir, that the hon. members who have spoken of want of continuity in the policy of this have not realised the difficulties which arise in Government in connection with setting apart a rapidly-growing Colony like this and in a city the areas corresponding to what are known as where there is so very little unbuilt-on space the Bank Gardens I say, sir, there has been left available for providing for the necessities no want of continuity. Those areas will, with of carrying on works in connection with, not the sanction of the Secretary of State, be set the Post Office only, but, let me remind them, apart and converted into gardens as soon as the Law Courts also. These two buildings are
ever the Law Courts are finished and that area by far the largest buildings the construction of can be tidied up; and as soon as the Praya Re- which this Government has ever undertaken. clamation Office is vacated and that area can be The contractor for the Post Office when he tidied up. I have no doubt, sir, that the time entered into his contract endeavoured to rent a will not be so very long distant now. (Hear, piece of ground upon which to carry on the neces- hear.) Regarding the plot itself, sir, which was sary work in connection with the building and the subject of the question put by the hon. to store some of his material. He tried to rent member, the interpretation of which he com- a piece of ground belonging to the P. & O. Coy.plained of, I can only say that with the progress
Hou. Mr. HEWETT-Quite true. THE COLONIAL SECRETARY-He did not succeed in coming to an arrangement with them, and then turned to the Government, and asked them if they would rent him a piece of land. It is necessary for every contractor to have some area as close to the building as possible available for such work as is being carried on on this site. I may instance the offices recently put up by Messrs. Jardine, Matheson and Com- pany. Their contractor succeeded in coming to terms with the P. & G. Coy, and he rented the very, piece of land which the Government con- tractor offered to rent from them to carry on
his work.
Hon. Mr. HEWETT-He paid a sum double the price the Government contractor was willing to offer.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-The point of my remarks, sir, is to show that some area is absolutely necessary. One hon. member sug- gested that it was quite an easy thing to relegate the contractor to areas of waste land outside the city. Of course you can do that, sir, but it means a very large increase in the cost of your building if you do. The mover of the resolution complained of tar being boiled on the site. It was for the construction of the tar road on Kennedy Road, and there was no other place
available unless the tar should be boiled on the road itself, which would have created a greater nuisance and obstruction than on the premises
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of work in the Post Office and as the material of carpentry and joinery is put into place it will be possible to decrease the size of the matsheds on the lot in question. (Hear, hear.) In fact, it is pro- posed at the present time to more them back fifteen feet from Chater Road, and as regards the bricks on the strip next the Club required in connection with the Law Courts, it is proposed to tidy them so that they shall not appear above the level of the fence, and to remove the poles complained of More than that cannot be done without interfer ing with the contractor and increasing the cost of the work until the Post Office and Law Courts are completed. When it and the Law Courts are completed there does not seen any immediate prospect of the Government requiring the plot of land for the purpose for which it has hitherto been used. No doubt, sir, the plot of land will be made as tidy as possible then, pend- ing the further disposal of it by the Government. I don't think, sir, that the Government can undertake absolutely that no nuisance as de. fined by the hon. members shall ever occur again, bocause apparently they call anything a nuisance that is unsightly. But I think the Government can undertake to bear in mind and to have dus regard for the feelings of the community in this connection. (Hear, hear) I cannot, sir, sit down without turning the tables in a small manner upon the mover and seconder of the
It
Hon. Mr. STEWART-Your Excellency, I have nothing material to add to what I have already said on the subject. I am very glad indeed that the hon. Colonial Secretary has committed himself to sympathy with the hope underlying this resolution. There is one point he made against the unofficial members, which I think can be turned. He said we did not realise the difficulties in which the Government were placed by the necessities of these great public works which they had been called upon to undertake. Well, i think there can be no better proof of the public's reali ation of those difficulties than the fact that those who repre- sent the public in this Counci have sat silent so long under the nuisance complained of. was only when answers to certain questions which I asked gave me the impression that the yard was only required for the Post Office that I felt justified in giving expression to those feelings as I have done to-day. I pointed out that the nuisance is not altogether to be explained by that necessity. Part of it is admittedly devoted to other purposes. If saw- ing wood is the only thing to be carried on there I do not see any reason for the existence of those matsheds at all. If nobody lives there, as we were given to understand at the last meeting, except watchmen, who could live in very small hovels, the matsheds could be removed and the sawing of timber done where If there were none it is done out in the open. of those tattered and ramshackle matsheds there, objectionable as it now is. I appeal to your but only wood, the yard would not be half go Excellency to intervene in this matter and to exert your influence to have removed at anyrate the matsheds that are complained of.
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The COLONIAL SECRETABY—I would like to explain-I did not make it quite as clear as I ought to have-that the whole of the joinery and carpentry for the Post Office, which is a building covering nearly half acre of ground and three times as large as Jardine's, is done in those matsheds. I don't think it. reasonable to ask that the work should be done. in the open in all sorts of weather.
Hon. Mr. STEWART →Does it need two storeys ?