4
Meenee," and the erection of a considerable number of quarters for Staff and Departmental Officers, and married Warrant Officers, non-commissioned officers and men, with a view to saving the issue of lodging money, and also the erec- tion of additional barracks for Asiatic Artillery, besides those included in the scheme, in order to avoid hiring, as at present.
This larger estimate is not, however, submitted, as there is little proba- It appears bility of much being done in its direction for many years to come. quite sufficient at the present time to put forward the smaller estimate, the main object of which is to provide the immediate accommodation required for the increased garrison, and which shows, as nearly as the Secretary of State for War is able to do in anticipation of finished plans and contracts, what is likely to be the burden on the Colony and Imperial Government respectively, for providing barrack accommodation during the next eight years.
The obligation to provide the necessary sites would in addition be incum- bent on the Colony.
It should be added that, should any sum be received from the Colony on account of the surrender to them of Colonial military lands, at present in the occupation of the War Department, the money thus received would go towards meeting the cost of the works and would diminish accordingly the moieties to be found by the War Department and the Colony for their completion.
According to the present scheme, however, it does not appear likely that much land would be thus surrendered.
Mr. Campbell-Bannerman proposes, with the concurrence of their Lordships, to forward to the Marquis of Ripon a copy of this letter and of the accompany ing estimate, and to press him to communicate to the Colony the decision that one-half of the net cost of providing barrack accommodation should be defrayed out of Colonial funds, and that new sites required should be provided by the Colony.
R. H. KNOX.
ESTIMATE for Barrack Works for accommodating increased garrison, and for some other urgent services.
Service.
3. Barracks at Kowloon for 2 Officers, 134 men, Europeans
4. Barracks for Royal Artillery at Lyemoon
5. Purchase of Lazaretto..
6. Barracks for Royal Artillery at Stonecutters Island..
7. Quarters for increased number of Warrant Officers (3)
8. Quarters for increased number of staff-serjeants, serjeants,
and married men (36.)
9. Quarters for Quarter Master, Infantry
10. Increase of Royal Engineers serjeauts" mess,.
12. Gymnasium for European troops
13. Bathing pond
14. Alterations to F. Block, Queen's Road barracks, for Chinese
Submarine Miners.
11. Serjeants' mess and recreation room, Victoria Barracks
Estimate.
Estimate.
5
No. 4.
BARRACKS-HONG KONG.
Treasury to War Office.
Sir,
Treasury Chambers,
19th August, 1893. The Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury desire me to acknowledge the receipt of Mr. Knox's letter* of the 27th ultimo, Hong Kong 2
, enclosing an estimate of barrack works required at Hong Kong.
4563
2. Mr. Secretary Campbell-Bannerman describes this estimate as being considerably the smaller of two that have been prepared, and as confined to the additional accommodation that must certainly be provided within the next eight years.
9. Its amount is the large sum of 174,7351., exclusive of sites, which the addition to one-half of the estimated cost (87,367). The actual expenditure however to be divided between the United Kingdom and the Colony would be diminished by the proceeds of any Colonial Military Crown lands and buildings surrendered by the War Department to the Colony.
Secretary of State assumes will be provided by the Colony without charge, in
4. It will be remembered that the Colonial Military Contributions Committee recommended that the Colony should provide the requisite new sites, and pay one-third of the net cost of new buildings, that having been about the proportion borne by it of the cost of defensive works and armaments.
5. On the other hand, the Treasury held that the Colony ought to contribute half the net cost of buildings. The Colonial Office opposed this rate of charge, and as yet no particular rate has been settled with the Colony, although warning has been given to it that some proportion will be asked for.
6. Further the terms are still unsettled on which the Colony should take over Colonial military lands surrendered by the War Department, and should furnish new sites.
7. My Lords mention these circumstances, not because they are not prepared to support the War Department in claiming half net cost, and free sites from the Colony, to the best of their power, but as reasons for caution in embarking on any expenditure that is not absolutely necessary.
8. Some portions of the scheme now submitted have been already begun, and may perhaps have been completed, and my Lords would be glad to be informed which these portions are, and which of the remainder are the more pressing.
2. Hospital for Asiatice, Kowloon
1. Barracks for Hong Kong Regiment at Kowloon, exclusive
of European Officers' quarters,
£
65,700.
dollars. 414,947
11.000
69,474
16,000
101,053.
8,850
55,895
3,150
19,895
8,000
50,526
2,300
14,526
21,600
186,421
1,500
9,474
1,500
9.474
2,000
12,651
2,500
15,789
1,700
10,737
200
1,263-
15. Alterations for library, school, &c., and to Royal Engineers
workshops.
450
2,842
quarters.
10,000
63,158
17. Training the Albany Nullah
++
2,400
15,158
Add th contingencies..
Total
158,850
15,885
174,735
1,003,268 100,326 1,103,589
(93)
16. Barracks for 1 Company Asiatic Artillery and Officers
9. Meanwhile, my Lords agree to the proposal of the Secretary of State to forward a copy of Mr. Knox's letter and of its enclosure to the Colonial Office, and to press the Marquis of Ripon to induce the Colony to accept the terms of contribution contemplated therein.
10. It should be noted that the last valuation of the dollar is 2s. 8d. not 3s. 2d.
FRANK MOWATT.
* No. S.
B
T. No
11771
98
Hong Kong 2
4597
332