BEACON ARA
48
In asking the Government to grant him the concession indicated above, the Government will naturally ask what quid pro quo he will obtain in exchange, and our client maintains that the advantages which would accrue to the Government of the Colony itself cannot be over stated, because as a get off against the grants of lands and use of roads which he would ask for, in the furtherance of his scheme, your Government would have a considerable increase in the revenue to be derived from the lands so granted to him. In this regard it must be conceded that the land which our client desires to possess on either side of his railway, is at the present moment absolutely un- productive, and is merely waste land. It is likely to remain So for ever unless some such private enterprise as indicated above is forthcoming, and in this regard, as the scheme depends for its financial success upon the possibility of building a certain number of houses within the area opened up by the Rail- way,
and within easy access thereof, our client would request that the plots of land abutting on the Railway and to be granted by Government, in furtherance of his scheme should be continuous and adjacent to each other.
Our client would respectfully point out that in relation to the financial aspect of the matter, whatever the ultimate result of the scheme may be, (although he entertains very little doubt that the scheme in itself will be a profitable one and will further the well being of the Colony to a very great extent), your Government will in the event of the scheme failing always benefit by the ultimate possession of a tunnel, which, under ordinary circumstances, the Government would not undertake to build.
Touching on the other great problem, which has all along confronted your Government, as to the suitable housing of the Chinese and the relief of the congestion in the Chinese quarter of the City, the proposed railway would in addition open up another large area which might be apportioned exclusively to the housing of the Chinese. This area could be acquired by building a dam across the swamp or tract of land now submerged at high tide and which tract of land is to the South of the main road running from Aberdeen to Deep Water Bay.
Our client might be prepared in the future in exchange for the grant of any land so reclaimed, to reclaim this tract of land and any adjacent lands for the above purposes if necessity should arise. It must be conceded that the necessity will arise in time, because the annual increase in the Chinese population will in the near future compel the Chinese to find new places of residence.
Should it be contended by your Government that they have not sufficient evidence that the scheme proposed will be a paying one, our client in reply would say that the European portion of the community who would take up their residence in the new locality, would be sufficient to make the railway a paying concern. Furthermore, our client points out that if as is intended, a large sum of money is spent in the further- ance of the scheme, this alone would materially benefit the Colony.
It is proposed that any Company which is floated to work our Client's concession, shall be English with English capital, and that part of the capital should be subscribed in Hongkong, and part in London.
We enclose for your information a sketch plan show-
The ing the proposed route of the Tunnel and Railway. land to the South of the dotted line shown on the plan, is all available for building, and if you will compare this land with the shaded portion showing the City of Victoria,