L
293
would have expected at least a reasoned justification
for, instead of a bare announcement of, the Govern-
ment's decision to proceed with the project.
All the more so since the Government have
elaborated the Consulting Engineers scheme for Hung Hom Bay in order to provide protected wharves where the larger vessels could remain, discharging
and loading, even during a typhoon. If the backwash
which the Consulting Engineers feared would be
caused by a wall at North Point, would be a serious matter for their Hung Hom Bay scheme, one would have thought that it would have an even more serious effect on a scheme designed to provide protected water.
The advice of the Consulting Engineers
seems however to have been brushed aside in rather a cavalier manner. So far as I can ascertain from the
papers, the only passages in which any attempt to justify this are (a) penultimate paragraph on page 7 of Mr. Duncan's report, in which it is stated that the North Point scheme was referred to the Consulting Engineers who "whilst offering objections to reclama-
tion of the foreshore in question, they admit that such a scheme.... is practicable but consider it
would be best to leave the foreshore as it is at present (This seems a very serious understatement of the case); and (b) paragraph 3 of No. 4 on File 19473
En.
where the Governor states:- "The Agreement
originally made with this Syndicate provided for the construction of an ordinary sea wall based on a rubble mound, in no great depth of water, with piers projecting from it. Shortly afterwards, in conse- quence of the growing demand for berthing space in the harbour, it was decided that a vertical deep sea wall should be constructed at North Point, and after
much bargaining Mr. Kwik Djoen-eng was persuaded to
include this area within the new scheme."
The best course would seem to be to
thrash the whole matter out with Sir E. Stubbs and
the Crown Agents when the Governor comes home next
month, and in the meantime to make sure that the
Colonial Government does not commit itself to any
further schemes which may prejudicially affect
other and more important projects of development;
in particular it seems very desirable to prevent
the Government committing itself to an eastward
extension of the North Point scheme, pending the
suggested discussion. It is not likely that in
present circumstances in the Colony any such
commitmente are likely to be incurred, but it may
be well to make quite sure by telegraphing.
At the same time, it is important that
the Government should have without further delay the Consulting Engineers' advice (43293) on the work
already started at North Point.
The only other point which seems to require
comment at this stage is the method by which develop-
ment is to be carried out, (vide paragraph 7 of
36781). It will be seen that the Governor favoure
development by private interests under the supervi-
sion of Government, and the Crown Agents (paragraph 5
of 41233) see no objection.
This question was discussed by the Con-
sulting Engineers at some length in paragraphs 23-26
of their 1922 Report (C.A.59046/22). The Consulting
Engineers considered that the most satisfactory
course would be for the Government themselves to
construct wharves and leave them to private
Companies. The objections which they pointed out
much
to