t
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Copy.
Enclosure 2.
69:
Inclosure
osure !..
Hon. Colonial Secretary,
507
I beg to report that certain matters have arisen in connection with the proposed reclamation of that portion of foreshore fronting Crown Land between Marine Lot No.431 and Quarry Bay, which render it desirable to refer the points involved to the Consulting Engineers with a request that they should consider the portion in question in conjunction with the entire harbour scheme with which they are now dealing. It is also desirable that the consideration of this particular portion be regarded as a matter of urgency and that they be requested to advise on it generally, and with respect to the special pointe set out hereafter, at the earliest possible date.
2.
It will probably simplify the consideration of the issues involved if a short resumé is given of the policy and course of events which have immediately preceded the matter herein set out:-
Early in 1921, negotiations, which had been
in progress for at least 2 years, were concluded with respect to the area shown coloured blue on the accompanying key plan A (Quarry Bay Marine Lot 4): this area has to be reclaimed by Goerment and handed over to the Taikoo Sugar Refining Company. At about the same date Marine Lots 430 and 431 were sold by auction to Mr. Kwok Djioneng, a Javanese Chinaman. This sale marked the conclusion of
about 2 years' negotiations for this area which in the first instance were conducted through a local firm of architects on behalf of the Robert Dollar Steamship Co. who
proposed to purchase it for forming a wharf for their
steamers. The firm conducting these negotiations did not
inform me until almost the date of sale that their clients
the Robert Dollar Co. had "dropped out" and that in their'
place a speculative Chinese builder, who was intent on
reclaiming