this is Murray's Office
put up by the majority of housing the Chief Post Office staff, about 50 in number. I surely agree that it is advisable that no Chinese contractors should be allowed to work in the building and no exceptions should be made.
I doubt the Colony is right in saying that it would be inconvenient (as well as expensive) to obtain an architect from this country, as no architect of repute will compete unless an assessor is named in whom he has confidence. There is, I believe, a better class of architect locally.
It appears unnecessary to earmark a portion of the site for the purpose, especially as it may possibly (almost certainly) affect the selling value of the remainder.
The serious financial position of the Colony, which has just forced us to dry up a number of useful public works, makes it necessary to exercise economy here.
I would ask Sir Blake to propose that the Postmaster General be moved to Crane's Apartments by minute, as to the advertised invitation for designs.
Major Cameron, J. Inglis, you usually refer to your consulting Architect? C-Pa
Do you think that there would be 20% to accommodate a number of departments? I think not. A building to accommodate a number of departments can be best designed locally, as consultation with all the officials concerned is indispensable.
Perhaps your question refers to the invitation to understand it is only proposed to ensure a definite agreement among architects on this point.
If the notice is, as I believe, for local architects only, the Post Office had, I think, better be left to manage the matter in their own way. To have a competition is, I think, ridiculous in a place like Hong Kong, where the merits of the well-known architects must be perfectly well known.
The Post Office would do better to choose the best man and let him work out the design, which he would then be likely to do with more care than when competing and devoting himself chiefly to producing attractive drawings to excite the Committee. Still, competition may silence local clamour and do us greater good, provided the chosen designs are afterwards worked out and employed.
I do not think that the 86 postmen should be accommodated in the new building. Ask the Governor, as Mr. Green proposes, whether Cameron can suggest any less expensive alternative than utilising part of the old site for this purpose.