You may understand attendance this my afternoon.
Jam,
Yours faithfully,
(Signed) R. G. Antrobus,
6th March 1856.
Yorke Jones Murrow, Esq.,
called in and examined;
I am a Merchant of Hong Kong, and have resided here permanently since 1849, and occasionally since 1843, when the Colony was first founded.
With respect to the First Question stated in the schedule to the Commission, my experience may enable me to say that the construction of the Praya ought, certainly, to be undertaken by Government, and no one else. Government can do it much more cheaply and efficiently for the purposes of the project than any other undertaker. I could state many reasons for this. For instance, the supply of granite, and the command of public departments, particularly of the Survey Department, would ensure the solidity, uniformity, and strength of the construction if carried out by Government. It would be unfair again if one individual were to build his portion imperfectly, whilst that of his neighbour was built strong; occurrence of a typhoon might, after all, occasion a total loss of property to the latter as well as to the former; - and yet, if individuals are to build portion by portion, this inequality of execution cannot be prevented. Another reason is that the work must be defended by buttresses and breakwaters against the swell, and, at intervals, there must be steps going down to the wall.
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