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153
The negociations were protracted, and they frequent- ly referred to me for further instructions. Finally they informed me that with the exception of having got the other aide to agree to a somewhat higher valuation of one of the two Government plots of land, the value of which had been in dispute, they could not prevail on the Com- panies' representatives to reduce their valuation of their properties. They also very strongly expressed the view to me that it would be greatly to the advantage of the Government to retain the land north of Salisbury Road, and the strip to the south of it; and to pay for the marine lots in cash (together with the Police Camber) if that course were in any way financially possible.
agreed with their views.
I
Unfortunately this stage was reached only a few days before I was due to leave Hong Kong. Messrs Pollock and
Stewart privately urged me to complete this transaction before I left the colony. The Companies stated that they
had advantageous offers for a portion at any rate of the ir
marine lots, and it was feared that if delay took place the negociations might fall through.
For my own part I was anxious to give the representa- tives of the colony the fullest opportunity of expressing an opinion on a matter of such vital importance to the fu-
ture of the railway, and of the colony the more so that I
was so soon leaving Hong Kong. It was useless to consult
Incentivi Concie the . for the two unofficial members of it, Sir P.Chater
and Mr Hewett were both personally concerned, and with the
exception of the D.P.. (and to some extent the Treasurer)
no official members were au courant with the technical de-
tails and the enormous mass of correspondence. I discussed
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