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•
The Chief Engineer,
Crown Agents for the Colonies.
work in these joints may necessitate sooner or later the
repairing, or even the renewal of any one, or all of the
joints. But any estimate of the expense (if any) to which
the Hong Kong Government may be put in this connection in
the future obviously would be pure guess work. It is on
this ground apparently that the U.S. Navy Department bases
its objection to the claim. That Department is entitled to
assume that the repairs have been properly carried out, and
that the claim covers everything necessary for putting the
cable in the same condition as before the accident. In the
circumstances we are inclined to the opinion that the Navy
Department's attitude should be accepted.
7. If, however, would have been a graceful act on
the part of the Navy Department to have regarded the claim
as an allowance for the contingency of the joints giving
trouble in the future but as it has not done so the Government
may decide to withdraw the claim and so terim te the
controversy.
For the Government to pursue the matter on
the grounds of the probability of the joints giving trouble in
the future it would be necessary for it to have a very good
case supported by such facts as may be available as for
instance the quality of the labour being inferior, if this
should be the case, or the like,
8.
It would have been advantageous we think if the
submission of the claim for repairs could have been d eferred
until a suitable length of cable for effecting the repairs
with two joints or even with one joint could have be en
obtained from England if necessary. The cost would have
been very much higher but a better job would have been made
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