15
due to the War Department for certain transfers of Land to
the Colonial Government was set to the credit of the War
Department.
4.
This Special Reprovision Account, however, is now useless owing to the abandonment of the Murray Barracks Scheme, and I concur with the Military Authorities of the
South China Command in recommending that it should be closed
in the following manner: namely that the War Office should be asked to pay to the Crown Agents on behalf of the Hong Kong Government the sum of £114,317. 18. 9d. referred to
above while the sum of $235,217.00 should be transferred to
the credit of the War Department in the ordinary "Colonial Military Lands Account". This latter sum represents the
total value, under the Oakley Award, of the Pinewood and High West sites ($188,775.00) already transferred to this Government on 28th March, 1924, and of a small portion of
the Murray Barracks Site ($46,442.00) transferred on 29th
June, 1926, for the purpose of road widening.
5.
This despatch has been submitted to the local Military Authorities and they concur in its terms. I would therefore request, should you see fit to approve its proposals, that steps may be taken to obtain the concurrence of the War Office thereto, and the payment to this Government of the sum of £114,317. 18. 9d.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient, humble servant
Governor, &c.