671
I understand your use, care for which no loss than 20 millions of dollars were impacted in Hong Kong during the last twelve months. It would be a grave misfortune to the Colony were the selfish views urged by your petitioners to prevent the Government giving their sanction to this useful project, which will reduce the price of oil to consumers no less than THIRTY THREE PER CENT.
To beg to inform you that the India Government have given their fullest sanction to the project, and our steamers are now allowed to discharge in the harbour in March (a privilege not accorded to steamers carrying oil) and have allowed the installation of the storage tanks.
The unloading of the steamers, cognizant of the fact that it will be a boon to the natives by the reduction in the price of this necessary commodity of 11/6. In Calcutta, we have received the same facility, as the Government have sanctioned the erection of our petroleum tank installation.
We beg to inform you that we have every reason to believe that the petition presented to you is not prompted by any fear of danger arising from the storage of petroleum, but by the probable desire of certain parties at present enjoying a monopoly of the storage of oil at your port, who wish to keep the control of petroleum in their own hands.
It may be useful to point out to you that in consequence of the increased demand for petroleum in this country, the storage tanks in question have been enlarged. Their capacity has been increased by 50 per cent, and the best Indian oil is now being supplied to the Colony (or the neighbouring Chinese ports) at 11/15, making it most desirable that similar facilities should be provided.
The ability to reduce the danger to life and property by removing the tanks to a distance from the harbour, further than the existing case oil installation is, we venture to say, clumsy also, which is one of the objections to you, would handicap the bulk oil trade so as to render it unable to compete with deep oil. We trust you will see through this and that no further delay may ensue in permission being given to erect our tanks on the site sanctioned by the authorities, subject to the conditions imposed by your Surveyor.
Removal, that in the event of any accident happening, the oil stored would be contained within the compound surrounding the tanks and none could escape into the harbour as your petitioners propose, to fear. The same thing applies to the steamer, if unfortunately by any accident she were to burst out of course while the oil was in her, the oil would simply turn out, the cells not being obstructed.
As our application, destined to serve Hong Kong for an indefinite period, will be ready to build in November next, we earnestly solicit your attention to the serious loss which we should be involved in.