N: 304
63987
RECO
& NOV
399
GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
HONGKONG. 19th September, 1919.
My Lord,
I have the honour to address Your Lord- -ship on the subject of a piece of land known as Kowloon Farm Lot No. 11, which is coloured red on the enclosed plan. The Farm Lot in question consists of a hill of about 130 feet in height containing an area of 6 acres and is held on lease for 75 years, commencing from the 26th December, 1859, at an anuni rent of 832.00, which is at the rate of $5 per acre.
2.
Owing to its position, the lot in question obstructs the scheme of main thoroughfares and developments generally in the Kowloon Peninsula and it has become necessary that it should be dealt with. The lessees, who are the Hong- -kong Land Reclamation Comp my, enquired some time ago as to the terms upon which the conversion of the lot into Building Lots would be permitted and an offer on the usual lines followed in such cases was made to them. The fact that it was necessary to stipulate that the hill which occupies the lot should be cut away in order to lay out roads and building lots proved unacceptable to the Company who declined to agree to the terms. I decided, therefore, that it was desirable in the public interest that the land should be acquired by the Government and after some negotiation, a price has been agreed upon of 840,500 or about 14 cents per square foot.
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
VISCOUNT MILNER, G.C.B.,
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