No. 8.
No. of item in estimate accompanying Hong Kong 4568
Description of services. Approximate estimate.
Colonial Office to War Office.
Downing Street, 14th November, 1893
I am directed by the Marquis of Ripon to acknowledge the receipt of your letter,* of the 19th ultimo, on the subject of additional barrack accommodation for the garrison at Hong Kong, and to request you to inform Mr. Secretary Campbell-Bannerman, that before considering this question his Lordship would be glad to be furnished with information upon the following points:
No. Description of services Approximate estimate 14 Alterations to F Block, Queen's Road Barracks, for Chinese submarine miners. £200 16 Barracks for 1 company Asiatic Artillery and Officers' quarters. 10,000 8 (Half of.) Quarters for increased number of staff-serjeants, serjeants, and married men (36). 10,800 9 Quarters for Quarter-Master, Infantry 1,500 10 Increase of Royal Engineer serjeants' mess 1,500 11 Serjeants' mess and recreation room, Victoria Barracks. 2,000 15 (Remainder.) Alterations to F Block, Queen's Road Barracks, for library, school, &c. 300 12 Gymnasium for European troops 2,500 13 Bathing pond 1,700 17 Training the Albany Nallah 2,400 Contingencies 15,835 Total £153,971 Already spent 13,029 Already authorized 5,408 18,431 172,402 Probable further for Royal Artillery Barracks, Stoneoutter's Island. 2,370 174,772Alteration of circumstances may cause variations in the order of precedence, especially in the latter part of the list.
(1.) What is now proposed in regard to the scheme referred to in the letter† from this department of the 24th November, 1892, for the exchange of certain lands and buildings for military and naval purposes?
(2.) In what manner is the increased garrison already accommodated, and how far are the proposed new barracks in addition to, and how far in substitution for the existing barracks, and as regards the latter, for what reason do the existing barracks require to be replaced by others?
(3.) What new sites will be required for the new barracks?
(4.) What old sites and buildings (if any) is it proposed to surrender to the Colonial Government on the completion of the new barracks?
(5.) Which of the new works have already been begun or finished?
As regards the expenditure already incurred or about to be incurred on these new buildings, I am to observe that the fifth and sixth paragraphs of the Treasury letter, enclosed in your letter under acknowledgment, correctly state that neither the Secretary of State for the Colonies, nor the Colonial Government have at present agreed to provide any specified share of the cost of new buildings, or to furnish the required sites.
Lord Ripon is obliged to ask for this information, for the proposal is quite new to him and to the Colonial Government also, so far as he knows, and it would not expedite matters to call upon the Colony to provide £100,000 at least (at 2s. 6d. the dollar), besides sites, with no further information than is furnished by a list of the works to be executed.
EDWARD FAIRFIELD.
No. 7.
Treasury to War Office.
No. 9.
T. No. 16109
Sir,
Treasury Chambers, 11th November, 1893.
Adverting to the statements of barrack works, completed, in progress, or proposed, at Hong Kong, enclosed in your letter* of the 31st ultimo, the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury request you to inform Mr. Secretary Campbell-Bannerman, that they take for granted that none of the works contained in Statement B, which are therein described as "not yet authorized," and amount to (£153,971 and £2,870) £156,841, will be begun before an agreement has been arrived at with the Colony as to the proportion of the cost to be charged to Colonial funds.
R. E. WELBY.
War Office to Colonial Office.
War Office, 12th February, 1894.
1. With reference to your letter of the 14th November, 1893, on the subject of additional barrack accommodation for the garrison at Hong Kong, I am directed by the Secretary of State for War to acquaint you, for the information of the Marquis of Ripon, as follows:-
2. As to enquiry (1), the matter is still under the consideration of the Admiralty.
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