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APPENDIX D.
1. In order to accommodate the increased garrison proposed by the Colonial Defence Committees' Report of 5th December 1887, it will be necessary to provide barracks for about 1,500 more Officers and men, thus nearly doubling the existing amount of barrack accommodation.
2. It is proposed to provide this additional accommodation by building barracks for an Infantry battalion and for about three batteries of Asiatics at Kowloon, and barracks for one battery, Royal Artillery, at Stone Cutters Islands and Lymoon (half battery at each); but no scheme can be definitely decided upon till further reports are received from the station. It is also proposed to acquire a site for a two-company barrack on the hills.
3. The cost of the scheme has been roughly estimated at 212,000l., but it is not impossible it may come to more. Much depends on the fluctuation of prices at Hong Kong.
4. It is proposed at present to dispose of the North Barracks, including Provost Prison and West Married Quarters, in the town of Victoria, preferably to the colony, on condition that it pays the full value for them, or else provides accommodation elsewhere to the full value.
To reprovide the accommodation lost by giving up the North Barracks will cost perhaps 50,000l., which would have to be added to the 212,000. already mentioned, thus raising the cost of new building to about 262,0001.
The North Barracks, owing to their position and large extent of water frontage, are worth a large sum of money, perhaps as much as 140,000l., and whatever they were worth would go in diminution of the said sum of 262,0007.
It is also proposed to sell or dispose of Spring Gardens, and, ultimately, the Commissariat Buildings and Head-Quarter offices, and in each case it is expected that the property would realize enough to reprovide the accommo- dation lost by its surrender, and to leave a balance of profit to go towards meeting the cost of the additional barracks for the increased garrison.
The accommodation lost by these arrangements it is proposed to reprovide partly at Kowloon, partly near Belcher's Point, and partly by building (chiefly of married quarters) on the remaining War Department property in Victoria.
5. I cannot give the cost of new sites, but, as far as I can ascertain, it is likely to be small, as most of the additional sites likely to be required are, or soon will be, in the hands of the Colonial Government (e.g., garden lots at Kowloon).
LOTHIAN NICHOLSON,
Inspector-General of Fortifications.
25th June 1888.
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