0525
370
1000 whichT OF
5.
There is one other point
materially affects this Colony, and upon which you will doubt-
less see that reasonable protection is afforded to the inte-
rests of this Colony, and that is the question of the protec-
tion of the Telephone and Telegraph lines, especially of the
lines belonging to the Civil Government. There are in addition
to these lines others which are the property of the Military
and Naval Authorities and of the China and Japan Telephone
Company, all of which have been constructed without metallic
circuits and are, therefore, dependent upon earth circuit for
their successful working. Upon this question, as upon many
other points raised in the enclosed correspondence, the
Government is entirely without competent expert advice, and
it is felt that the points now submitted for consideration
by experts at home could not be satisfactorily settled local-
17.
6.
The objections by the Hongkong Telephone
Company appear to have great force. The Company cannot afford
to add the necessary wire for a return circuit, without which,
on the installation of the tram line their business will be
destroyed. Having regard to the fact that the Company has
been in operation for several years it appeared to me that
the in-coming Company ought to put up the necessary wire for
return current at their own expense. The same remark would
apply to the Military telephone lines,
I should have preferred a general Tramways
Ordinance with provisions for issuing licences after calling