Enclosure 1.
84 has very fairly set out the circumstances of the case, and that I concur in the views which he had expressed.
I have the honour to be, My Lord Marquess, Your Lordship's Most Obedient Humble Servant,
Wilhelm Rotungsy
Mean B44
To The Most Noble
Hongkong 29th December 1892.
J 46 AC 2093
The Marquis of Ripon etc. etc.
Secretary of State for the Colonies
My Most Noble Marquis,
We the Undersigned are the Agents in Hongkong of a large and wealthy Syndicate formed for the purpose of promoting the importation into & sale in China of Refined Petroleum in Bulk,
a method of importation and sale that tends largely to facilitate transport and to diminish the cost of the Oil and so correspondingly to increase the already enormous consumption thereof throughout the East.
Hongkong was naturally selected by the Syndicate as the best position for a great central depot and premises were purchased at very great expense at Kowloon upon the assurance that every facility would be given for the establishment and extension of our business. The purchase was completed in April last; in August we commenced the erection of our tanks and the construction of wharves.
Early in October last we received from the government a draft of certain conditions to be annexed to any license to be issued for the storage of Petroleum on our premises and draft of Rules and Regulations to be made by the Governor in Council in relation to Petroleum in Bulk under the provisions of "The Dangerous Goods Ordinance 8 of 1882"
The draft conditions to be annexed to any license issued to us were very severe and imposed restrictions as to buildings etc. far beyond the requirements of any other Government in the world. We submitted to them, although they entailed on us very heavy and very needless expenditure, but as it was an expenditure to be made