431
( 22 )
4. As the cost of the sea-wall and the filling in will not be uniform per yard lineal of sea-frontage throughout, in consequence of the sea being deeper in some places than in others, the work has been divided into seven sections and the cost of each section has been ascertained separately. In this way the average price per square foot of reclamation has been equitably apportioned for each section, so that of the seven groups of marine lot-owners no two groups will pay the same price for their reclamations. The cost of that portion of the work which will be defrayed by the Government on account of the areas tinted yellow in the General Plan, will be reduced by the utilization, in the proposed new sea-wall, of the stone of the present Praya wall.
5. The cost of the Government reclamations opposite the Sailors' Home in Section No. 1 have been entirely excluded from the present estimates because already last year the Government had begun this work in connexion with the preparation of a site for the proposed new Western Market, and as the filling in at this point is making good progress there is every probability that the Market site will be completed next year.
6. I annex hereto (marked Returns Nos. 6-7) a schedule of the annual Crown Rents based on the appraisal of $200 per quarter acre, which the lot-owners will have to pay to the Colonial Treasury for their new reclamations. The total amounts to $20,932 per annum. Following the precedent in respect of all previous reclamations, I understand the Government does not propose to charge any premium for the new allotments in consideration of these being reclaimed entirely at the cost of the lot-owners.
7. In section 2 a portion of the reclamation is shown tinted purple (see the General Plan). This purple Section is also omitted from the present estimates, because the work having been already begun last year, will doubtless be completed before the general scheme has been initiated. The work is being carried out by the Public Works Department at the entire cost and charges.of the Wharf and Godown Company who are the owners of the Marine Lots Nos. 98 to 105. This Company were granted an extension to their lots seawards, subject to their defray- ing the cost of the requisite sea-wall and filling-in, and subject to their paying the Government a Crown Rent of $764 per annum.
8. The timber jetties and landing-stages along the present line of wall, erected in the early days of the Colony mostly by private enterprise will have to be removed at the cost of their owners who are tenants at will of the Crown. Owing to the greatly increased depth of water along the proposed new sea-wall, new piers and landing-stages will not be required except in four or five cases. These I will be erected at the cost of the owners.
presume
9. The detailed surveys have not brought to light any new facts that would justify the Government in relaxing any of the conditions prescribed by His Ex- cellency the Governor in the correspondence with Mr. C. P. CHATER of November 1887, and I am of opinion that the marine lot-owners should be held to those conditions by written contract between the Government and each individual. There would be less ground for any concession that it is now found the profits accruing to the lot-owners are greater than was anticipated.
10. As it would be a serious hindrance and obstruction to the shipping and landing operations of the port to undertake the proposed new works all along the line at the same time, it is recommended that the reclamation be begun and finished section by section. There would however be no objection to two sections being pushed on with at the same time provided they were in different parts of the barbour-frontage. Probably it will be found most convenient to begin sections 1 and 7, and when these are finished to pass on to Sections 2 and 6, finishing up with sections 3 and 5 and then 4.
11. I deem it unnecessary to encumber this letter with technical matter des criptive of proposed constructional details, I therefore attach a separate outline- specification with detail tracings showing what is proposed in respect of sea-wall and embankment.
12. By the light of the new detailed surveys just completed, it is seen that the reclamations, inclusive of roads, but exclusive of the Western Market site
( 28 )
opposite the Sailors' Home, and the Wharf and Godown Company's extension, will comprise 57 acres and 3 roods of which 26 acres will become the property of the murine lot-owners, and 5 acres the property of the Government, while 26 acres will be reserved for roads and streets. The present market value of the 26 acres
of building sites to be assigned to the lot-owners apprised at current rates comes to $7,910,821. (See Returns Nos. 2-3) while their outlay in recla nation works will be only $2,146,228 showing a net profit to be obtained by them of $5,764,593.
13. The 5 acres of building sites which will fall to Government and which are shewn tinted yellow on the General Plan will, (exclusive of the Sailors' Home reclamation already appropriated to the proposed new Western Market) represent a minimum value of $1,441,587. (See Return No. 5.) Some of these Government building-sites can be sold and others utilized for the more urgently needed new public buildings, such as a new Supreme Court, a new Post Office, a new Harbour Master's Office, and a new Fish-Market as an adjunct to the Central Market. If accommodated on the embankment, all these new public buildings may be erected practically at little or no cost to the Government, for in each case the expense of erection will be covered or nearly covered by the proceeds of the sale of the present old sites of the Supreme Court, Post Office, and the Harbour Office.
14. You will notice some difference between the figures given in this letter in respect of areas and estimates, and those contained in my first Report of the 18th of July, 1887. The present figures are the correct ones, because they are based on the detailed information more recently obtained, and because the design has undergone some modifications since its first inception.
15. The shape of the reclamation at its western terminus has now been changed, and the proposed new sea-wall is shown as running into the present old wall, in such manner as will preclude further objection from the marine lot-owners at the West End.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
The Honourable F. STEWART, LL.D.,
Your obedient Servant,
Colonial Secretary.
RETURN No. 1.
J. M. PRICE.
Surveyor General.
SCHEDULE OF AREAS AND ESTIMATED Costs or THE PORTIONS OF RECLAMATION TO BE
ASSIGNED TO THE MARINE LOT-OWNERS AND TO BE PAID FOR BY
..$ 374,232..
THEM.
No. of Section.
Area of proposed Reclamation.
Amount of Cost cxclusive of Government Reclamation.
),.
2,
197,707 Square foot,...... 114,080
Rute per Square foot which the Reclamation will cost to carry out.
..$1.89
310.854
2.72
17
3.
197,865
345.238.....
1.78
4,
50,605
158,044....
3.02
14
4,
....... 155,021
270.690......
1.74
6,
240,233
1-10,315...
1.83
H
7
185,083
251,860..
1.36
4
Totals,1,140,544 Square feet.
$2,146,228