THE
HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1935.
NEW HONG KONG BANK BUILDING OPENED
New Page In History Of Hong
Kong Written
Magnificent Skyscraper A Credit To The Colony
Promptly at 11 o'clock yesterday morning, His Excellency the Officer Adminis tering the Government, the Hon. Mr. N. L. Smith, declared the new premises of Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation opened and thus a "new page in the history of Hong Kong was written,
The last word in design and architecture, the new Bank building is the finest building in the East and it was a happy gathering that collected in the magnificent Banking Hall to give "Way ng" a-send-off in a manner that has never been witness- ed in the Colony before.
In calling upon His Excellency to open the building. Mr. Stanley H. Dodwell, chairman of the Board of Directors, spoke in optimistic vein regarding the future of the Colony while glowing tributes to Mr. V. M. Grayburn, thự Chief Manager, and his staff, was paid by His Excellency in the course of his speech.
The Hon. Mr. T. "N. Chan and Mr. Grayburn also made speeches and after these were over the thousands of well-wishers of the Bank went on a tour of inspection of the premises, a description of which had algeady been pblished in our columns.
Glowing Tribute To Mr. Grayburn
The Hon. Mr. Smith was accom- panied by Miss Mary Smith and attended by Capt. Cragg, AD.C.. und Mr. J. H. B. Lee, Private Sec- retury.
The official party was made up
as follows:-
The keen disap us to-day.
which I know Sir pointment Thomas himself feels that his ill- ness has prevented him, will be shared by everyone of us. The
sympathy of the whole Colony has been, with Lady Southorn in the she has recently, His Excellency the Officer "Ad- j anxious time ministerng the Governmen. Hon. passed through and our relief is r. N. L. Smith, Major General Fladeed great that Sir Thomas 15 now we on the way to coniplets S. Thackeray and Mrs. Thackeray. His Honour the Chief Justice, Sir recovery.
that Sir Fortunate Atholl MacGregor and Lady Mac- Gregor.. Commodore and Mrs. C. G. Thomas mantle on this occasion
We
are
came
į
THE NEW BANK BUILDING—A SYMBOL OF SOLIDITY
ca's leading Statesmen unless it had the support of a large body of responsible and influential opinion. and it is nothing less than a frank admission, by the nation which first invented Economic National- ism and which of all of them is I best constituted to live within it- self that this selfish method of Economic existence, does not pay when the rest of the world adopt
t.
TWO BRIGHT PATCHEN
Great Brital. for whose colt sumption the adaress was no doubt chiefly intended may r may not have responded. We do
not
know, but We do know that she on ner part. is gravely concerned about ner
apparent that our 'old premises were quite inadequate for our requirements. The old buila- ing was, I believe, opened during a temporary trade depression, which } even in those days were periodical occurrences, and so protentious did. it seem at the time that, as most of you are aware, it became known | as Jackson's Folly. Though His-
Sir tory has proved that had Thomas Jackson's Folly only been More
magnitude. greater reconstruction would complete
of
generally been fortunate in its Chairmen of Directors but seldom, I should say, more fortunate than when they elected Mr. Stan- ley Dodwall o that responsible post.
LOOKING BACK
On an occas.on ilke this it is nasural to look backwards as well as forwards and to trace the Bank's history from tha, first pro- spectus in 1884 and through all, its vicissitudes until the present day. Mr. Dodwell has already told you about "Jackson's Folly," the .883 building. and I would not weary you with a recital of flüct- dating share values, of note is- sues and of loans. It is not neces- dwindlingsary to tell such- an assembly as trade with 'China, and as evidence are ga.hered here to-day of thi unique position held by "The of her keen desire to improve it. has sent out Sir Frederick Leith- Bank" as it is always called, in Ross, one of her most eminent all that relates to the economic anancial authorities. to confer life of the whole of the Far East. with the Chinese Government and A year ago less seven days Str advise whether and in what way
William Peel, after laying the the two nations can co-operate foundation stone of this building, to benefit of botn.
hinted in his usual delicate way at Those are sure'y two bright the power wielded by this great
are many others a pointing to some people, if they could see, as friendly and mere reciprocal trad- I have for the last few weeks, how ing relations taking the place of the glorious view from the viran- those which at present savour far dah of Government House is now- too much of Ecohomté War. And, adays obstructed. would perhaps therefore while it is idle to deny twist this into some sort of an un- that there are still many phases complimentary parable. It would In the world situation to cause obviously be improper for me to anxiety there is Biso much LO attempt to say anything about the¦ justify us in looking forward, as relationship between the Govern- the Bank have done in erecting men and what is, although I be- this nine building, in the confident lleve 'not a "Central Bank" in the expectation of better tirnes to strict sense, such a preponderant element in the Colony's life as the Hang Kong & Shanghai Bank- ing Corporation, except that that relationship is now as ever cordial and intimate. Still less am I wil- ling to be drawn into a discussion en China's currency and the Leith- Hoss Mission.
Sedgwick, Hon. Mr. D. W, Tratman has fallen on one who has always have been avoided to-day, it will patches in a dark horizon. There institution; and I dare say that
taken the keunest interest in all forms of the Colony's development. As a close friend of his. 4 person- ully am particularly happy to be associated with him in so portant an event in the life of the Colony.
im-
מן
be surprising if amidst the gloom the present depression Mr. Grayburn is not immortalised in the same way as was his illustrious bredecessor.
It is indeed unfortunate that we should be taking possession of our rew premises at a time when world conditions make it so diff- cult to take an optimistic view as regards the future. and
the speeches of our unofficial legisla- tors make it so dangerous to ex-
press one.
UNSCALEABLE TARIFFS
While unscaleable tarifs. em-
come
It is in that spirit, and, with undiminished faith in the future of the Colony and of our great and triendly neighbour China" that I now call upon Your Ex-
declare this build- cellency to
and Mrs. Tratman, Hon. Mr. G. G. Alabaster and Mrs. Alabaster, Han. Mr. R. M. Henderson and Mrs. Henderson, Hon. Sir Henry Pollock and Lady Pollock, His Honour Mr. Justice R. E. Lindsell, Hon. Mr. T. N. Chuu, Hon. Mr. W. H. Bell and Mrs. Bell, Sir William Hornell, Lt. WORLD WIDE ACTIVITIES Col. H. B. L. Dowbiggin, Mr. L. W.
I will not inflict on you 13 Amps, Mr. A. Brearley, Mr. M. J. lengthy description of our new Breen, Mr. and Mrs. A. S. Camp-premises. They are the outcome bell, Mr. John B. Chan, Mr. Y. Y.
of much thought and careful plan- Chan, Mr. A. H. Compton, Mr. E ning on the part of the manage- J. Davles. Mr. and Mrs. S. H.
ment whose main object has been Dodwell, Mr. and Mrs. L. Dunbar,
to ensure that the Bank's statt. Mr. and Mrs. G. de la P. B. Fitz- who direct and control its world- gerald Mr. Fung Kong Un Mr. wide activities from a head office bargoes, quotas, exchange fluctua- and Mrs. H. C. Gray, Mr. V. M. situated in a semi-tropical and un- tions and arbitrary restrictions are so severely hampering Inter- Grayburn. Mr. and Mrs. H. R. B.doubtedly trying climate, should be Hancock. Col. and Mrs. H. C. equipped with the latest health-ational Trade, in which so many Harrison, Sir Robert and Lady giving and tine saving appliances of us are engaged, there is no op- ing open. HoTung, Mr. and Mrsy Ho Wing, that modern science can provide tion but to tighten up our belts, so that they in turn can render to but happily there are unmistake- Mr. and Mrs. J. Owen Hughes, Mr. M. T. Johnson, Squadron Leader C. the clients of the Bank servicable and ever R. Keary and Mrs. Keary Mr, and | which is second to none.
M. H. Mrs. C. C. Knight, Col. Logan. Mr. Lu Chao Li, Mr. J. F. connection with the planning of practising it will soon be forced to MacGregor. Mr. and Mrs. G. Mis the building fell upon Mr. Gray-recognise that the world prosperity kin. Mr. and Mrs. A. Morse, Mr. burn. in consultation with Mr. derived from trading with one an- T. E. Pearce. Mr. G. C. Pelham, Mr. Wilson, while the supervision and, other is vital to domestic recovery and Mrs. J. A. Plummer, Mr. and to a large extent, the selection of Mrs. E. Potter. Mrs. Ritchie, Mr. the equipment was done by our J. A. Riche, Sir William Shenton. enter accountant Mr. Morse. The Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Shields, Mr. and Banking Hall has had to be dis- Mrs. J. H. Taggart, Hon, Mr. and mantled for this occasion, "Mr. E. Taylor, Mr. and Mrs. G. G. when you have seen it with its N. Tinson, Hon. Mr. and Mrs. D. equipment reinstated and have W. Tratman, Mr and Mrs. G. L. inspected the vaults, and safe de- Wilson, Mr. Wong Yiu Tung.
posits, I have no doubt whatsoever that you will be satisfied that their Mr. G. L. Wilson, FRIBA, endeavours leave nothing to be
KEY PRESENTED
"I
The great bulk of the work in
F.S.J. who was responsible for the desired.
but
The safe deposits in
design of the building, presented particular the latest of their kind His Excellency, the Hon. Mr. N. Lure a new teature of which we Smith with a gold key with which hope the public will take full ad- h; opened the main entrance to vantage, and facilities will be
gladly given at any time to any the Bank.
one desirous of inspecting them.
CONGRATULATIONS
THE CHAIRMAN ·
¡
increasing signs that Economic Nationalism will not succeed
and that Nations
and expansion. No less an au- thority than The Secretary of State of the United States of America has already recognised it. In an address on the Foreign Commercial Policy of the United States delivered before the Cham- ber of Commerce representing the
whole country. Mr. Cordell Hull ex- that by pressed his conviction raising her tariffs three times in a
decade since the great war his country had prepared the destruc.
HIS EXCELLENCY
'Before declaring the building open, His Excellency addressed the gathering, in the following terms:---
40
MAGNIFICENT BUILDING
Stepping lightly off that parti- cular, tight-rope on to the firmer and more congenial ground of #esthetics I should like to give my opinion for what it is worth' that in the view of all honest men of taste this magnificent building
I should like at the outset to associate myself very sincerely of such a quailty that genera with the regrets which have just tloris yet unborn will gaze at it been. expressed by Mr. Dodwell at
with something of the same gasp the lamentable absence to-day of of admiration that we to-day bea- Sir Thomas Southorn. What tow on, let us say. Durham Ca- struck me most forcibly from the thedral. I do not mean the in- first moment that he was well
terior conveniences or the engin- enough for me to see him, which "eering marvels or even the mes- sics? I mean simply the lines that Was precisely a fortnight ago to- the obvious fact that, day, was
will be seen from the Star Ferry Budget or Budget, to-day's or whatever its equivalent may be function was the one to which ha reatury or two hence. If any was still looking forward above all one says to-day that it looks ex- tion of her vast foreign trade, and of myself in particular I should sigh and point at the neighbour- else. On behalf of everyone here..cessively utitarian one can only upon which so much. of her prose to express our very dien ing examples of pseudo-Renais
sympathy in his disappointment sance or of what a dear friend perity rested; he strongly advocat
d the simultaneous reduction to a
and our hope that his complete of mine once called "Early "Com- pradorle." And if honest straight lines are to be condemned-well. I have no doubt that two thousand At the same time it would be
Jdd years ago some of the good dishonest if I did not confess that, citizens of Athens shook their had I known that it was pre-or-❘ heads at the very thought of put- dained that the Fates were to ting such an atrocity as the Par- pitchfork me into my present posrthenson on top of their beloved tion for a rew weeks and had I Acropolis. The Bank have rea- been given an option as to dates son to congratulate Messrs. Lugatt I should without hesitation have and Amps and a the engineers chosen a period to Include to-
who have conspired to give them day's ceremony which as know is an epoch-making one in De. But the Colony as
we all this model of what a bank should a" whole the history not only of this Cnhas, I am sure you will agree, rea- lony but of the whole of the Far on to congratulate itself even East.
more on the imaginative genius I am very grateful to Mr. Dodot the architects. If I may be well for his kind words of well-allowed to sound a personal note come. Our first serious meeting. I should like to associate in those as I dare say he will recollect congratulations, which rightly he was shortly after the War when long to Mr. Wilson. his assistant had the satisfaction of taking. Ritchie, whose proud mother. him to about the twentieth hole here with us to-day, has for very at Fanling in a Championship kung been a friend of me maich; and since that day I have family. been proud to think of him as a personal friend: The Bank ́hai
more reasonable level of all exist- ing tariffs, as well as the abandon-recovery to health, which we may now safely say is well on the way, ment of the chief forms of de-
inay be as rapid as possible. The construction of the building scrimination in International fin- In calling upon His Excellency, was completed in what must be ance and commerce, and conclud- Mr. N. L. Smith, to declare the considered record time for this ed by stating that it was the in- building open, Mr. 8. H. Dodwell, part of the world. We vacated tention of his Government to make chairman of the Board of Direc- Lour old head office on China's every effort to restore Internation- National Day in 1933 and few of a Trade on a basis of equality and tors, said:
Your Excellencies, Ladies and us then really belleved that the friendship. Gentlemen:-
old building could be demolished "Of all the evidence that justifies It is my privilege, on behalf of and the new one erected in the us in the belle! that the removal the Hong Kong and Shanghai comparatively short space of two of some of the many hindrances to Bank, to extend to all our friends years. That this has been accom-Overseas Trade is not far off, I a most cordial welcome to our new plished in spite of unforeseen diffi-think that statement of America's home, and, at the same time, to culties. In connecnon, with the foreign commercial policy is one of thank His Excellency, The Officer foundations, is due to a very high the most significant.
of organization, Administering the Government, for standard
.ceremony.
Co-
THE SILVER POLICY
so kindly consenting at such com- operation and efficiency on the
We It is I admit difficult for us out paratively short notice to occupy part of everybody concerned what may be rightly described as congratulate and thank all or here to reconcile it with her Silver the "key" position at our opening them and particularly our archi-rolley, which has done our trade tect Mr. Wilson and his able staff, such grievous harm, but strangely I am sure that it will be His amongst whom I would like to enough it coliided with what
В much Excellency's wish that I should specially mention Mr. Ritchie, and appeared to be first of all express our profound our Construction Managers Messrs, reasonable method of carrying out
that Silver policy. regret at the unfortunate cir-Logan & Amps.
The decision to build was taken. It is a statement which could not cumstances which have prevented St Thomas Bauthorn from being some four years ago, when it be- have been made by one of Ameri-
more
(Continued on page 12)
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