the work.
The land alone as at present laid out is valued
at one and a half million dollars.
3.
It was suggested to the War Memorial Committee
that part of their funds should be employed to convert the
site into a recreation ground for the services. The funds
at the disposal of the Committee consist of public subscript-
ions, a contribution of two hundred thousand dollars from
this Government and a large contribution from the Sharp Trust.
The first appeal for subscriptions resulted
in the collection of a total of $42,293 to be expended at
the discretion of the Committee... This sum was completely
expended in the construction of the Cenotaph, which actually
cost $52,580.93. In course of time a scheme for constructing
a War Memorial Hospital took shape, and donations were
invited for this specific object. The Government
subscription of $200,000 was made on a dollar for dollar
basis as against subscriptions from the public, and is
therefore as definitely earmarked for the Hospital as the
monies received from the community.
4.
The Sharp Trust contains conditions which
clearly reserve all its funds for purposes connected with
Hospitals; and it was in fact necessary to modify the scheme
of the War Memorial Hospital to bring it within some of the
essential condition of the Trust. In any event no part of
the Sharp Trust Funds can be secured for the purposes of a
recreation ground.
5.
The following extract from a letter dated 1st
November, 1927, from the Chairman, War Memorial Committee,
clearly expresses its position in the matter:-
"The Committee are unanimous in thinking that
"there is a great need for a hospital such as is proposed
"and that it will be a great boon to the community.
Although
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"Although the question has not been directly put to them, "none of the private medical practitioners in commenting "upon alternate sites have suggested that such a
"hospital is not required, but, on the contrary, the
"opinion has been expressed by some that there should "be a similar one in Kowloon as well to meet the Colony's
"needs.
"It is the recollection of the Committee that the
"original conception of a Memorial was permanently to
"record the gratitude of the community to the forces of
"the Empire who served in the Great War. It was for this
"reason that it was decided "in particular to afford to
"those who served in the late War accommodation and
"treatment within the discretion of the Committee on
"special terms including free treatment where expedient",
"in the Nursing Home. The Committee understand that the
"Memorials erected in other parts of the Empire, France
"and Belgium have the same object in view.
"While fully in sympathy with the Government's
"wish to provide more recreation grounds for the
"Services, the Committee very much regret that it will
"not be possible to make a grant from the War Memorial
"Funds for the reasons already stated, and for the
"further reason that the funds available are insufficient
"properly to provide for the home the Committee have in
"mind, and other purposes in addition."
6.
No part of the monies in the hands of the
Committee can therefore be diverted from the Hospital scheme
and the hope of obtaining any assistance from the War
Memorial Funds has had to be abandoned.
7.
I still have under careful consideration the
question of how additional recreation grounds can be
provided
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