35
the Netherlands Dredging Company will be obtained.
(6) The Committee have taken note of the sentence in paragraph 8 of the Governor's despatch to the effect that it could be decided later, when the cost is known, whether a special levy on shipping should be made to meet the whole or part of that cost. They have given their decision in favour of dredging to the greater depth on the assumption
that the dues of the port, which are already fairly high,
will not be increased, since, in their opinion, it is not
desirable to add to the cost of the shipping using the
port for the sake of a few large liners, however desirable
it may be in the interests of Hong Kong and the liner companies concerned, that this work should be undertaken.
(7) The Committee notice that the quotations on which
the tentative estimates of cost have been based by the
Hong Kong Government came from a foreign firm. Hong Kong Government have no doubt already considered the
The
desirability of utilizing British enterprise for the
L
execution of this work if this can be done without excessive
increase of cost. The Committee would point out that in
i
view of the probable co-operation of the Admiralty additional
mi
/emphasis