13
gempensation based on what the agricultural use
of the land is worth to an agriculturist. b
When the petitioners contend that this is
a breach of (a) the Convention and (b) the
promises of the Govt., it does not seem to me
to be a sufficient answer to say that neither
the Manchu rulers nor the Chinese Republic would
have treated them better. ES
7. At the gand time I do nots
forget that one is dealing more
with land speculators who bought in anticipation of
selling to the Govt, than with peasants deprived of
their ancestral holdings:
and
I have not
lost sight of the fact that the development of
this area for residential and business purposes is
of vital importance to the Colony, and that the
consequences of a hasty decision may be to inflict
irreparable damage on the whole community.
As you point out in para, lô of your despatch any
alteration in the present policy must imply an
admission of error, and involve the re-opening
of all past transactions,
I am therefore
not disposed to press my view which has hitherto
been that compensation
should be assessed not
under
refly
C
i
the
value of the land, unless and until the
whole question has been so fully explored
in all its bearings that I am satisfied
that no other course is compatible with
due observance of our undertakings both at
the time of the Convention and subsequently.
do not consider that I am at present in a
position to pronounce confidently on the
subject, and in existing conditions it is
of course out of the question for you or
your advisers to deal with this matter more
exhaustively than you have already done in
your careful despatch on the subject.
9 bue
It has been suggested that an
addition of 10% to the price as now assessed
should be allowed with retrospective effect
(see paragraph 17 of your despatch under
acknowledgment) but this concession might
fail to satisfy all the petitioners and the
action of your Government might still be
attacked as a breach of the Convention.
10.
I am inclined, therefore, to think
that the best plan will be to take the
only on the actual but also on the potential
value
petitioners