387
REGLIVED
40CT 328
COL.O
CE
6.5
TELEGRAM from the Officer Administering the Government of Hong Kong to
the Secretary of State for the Colonies.
6
(Dated th October
32
Sopy to Spi
Received Colonial Office 10.43.8.m. 6th October, 1928)
?25
Your telegram of 26th September Water supply was discussed in
Executive Council 27th September and as the Unofficial Members still
seemed much opposed to immediate undertaking of the Aberdeen Scheme
I decided to await expression of their views which I understood would
be made in the budget debate on 4th October. These views will reach
by despatch of 5th October. There is now no doubt that the
you by
to f
fficial Members are unanimously opposed to the immediate undertaking
of the Aberdeen scheme and they would all vote against the motion for
section immediate provision of funds. They now favour the second of the
19/10
Shingmun in preference to Aberdeen.
To force the Aberdeen Scheme
The
through at the present moment by official vote might easily create a
local political crisis of some magnitude and I very strongly advise
against such a course. I recommend that we push on with the cross-
harbour pipes and meanwhile cause details of the Shingmun second section
to be worked out. This can be then compared with the Aberdeen scheme
and if approved locally would be submitted to you for sanction. elay in starting Aberdeen will be of less importance as in any case supply from Kowloon should be available before Aberdeen could be finished. As regards pipe line preliminary work is already in pro- gress and I deprecate very strongly an immediate decision in favour of
The Water Engineer's scheme laying duplicate pipes in concrete.
which would save well over a million dollars has never been set out fully to the Consulting Engineers and risk from dragging anchors is extremely small owing to the position selected for the pipeline. Detailed report is now in the course of preparation and will be sent
to