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CAPITAL COST OF DEVELOPMENT, EXTENSION AND IMPROVEMENTS CARRIED OUT BY YOUR PETITIONERS DURING THE 10 YEARS 1919–1928 EXCLUSIVE OF
MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS.
YEAR,
TRACK, ETC. ROLLING STOCK.
EQUIPMENT & GENERAL TRAM- WAY PROPERTY.
TOTAL.
$
1919
35,661
9,429
9,947
55,037
1920
396,942
15,892
43,560
456,394
1921
264,791
84,554
34,814
384,159
1922
189,309
31,229
44,808
265,406
1923
93,306
140,093
93,105
327,104
1924
140,322
146,597
118,877
405,796
1925
61,231
92,358
53,412
207,001
1926
48,072
56,955
62,722
167,749
1927
137,753
34,676
18,496
190,925
1928
22,411
82,180
16,930
121,521
10 years
$1,389,798
$694,563
$496,731
$2,581,092
Over the same period attention to the demands of efficient upkeep and Main- tenance was served to the extent of an additional amount of $1,943,965.
10. Under the Ordinance your Petitioners have to pay a Royalty to Govern- ment for the privilege of maintaining this service. The Royalties paid by your Peti- tioners to Government over the period 1914-1928 are as follows:-
22/9-31/12/14
1914
2.702.06
1915
10,715.00
1916
19,798.47
1917
17,907.97
1918
17,356.47
1919
20,079.30
1920
23,861.68
1921
27,664.84
1922
32,719.46
1923
39,022.66
1924
52,432.79
1925
38,016.19
1926
39,040.40
1927
49,992.12
1928
49,176.69
$440,487.00
11. The above mentioned Royalty has, in accordance with Section 47 of the Tramway Ordinance, been paid at the rate of 5% per annum of the profits of your Petitioners. From and after October 1939 in accordance with the Ordinance Royalties will be payable at the rate of 25% per annum of your Petitioners' profits.
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12. By Regulations made by the Governor-in-Council under Section 3 (9) of the Vehicles and Traffic Regulations Ordinance 1912, Ordinance No. 20 of 1912 as amended by the Vehicles and Traffic Regulations Ordinance 1921, Ordinance No. 4 of 1921, on the 1st day of April 1921, it was (inter alia) provided as follows:--
(i) It shall be lawful for the Governor-in-Council to grant by licence to any person, whose tender is accepted, the exclusive right of maintaining ser- vices of public motor vehicles within such portions of the Colony as may be defined in such licence subject to the Regulations hereinafter mentioned.
(ii) No licence for the exclusive right of maintaining any service of public motor vehicles shall be granted unless it has been put up to public tender.
13. By Regulations made by the Governor-in-Council under the same Ordin- ance on the 18th December 1924, the Regulations for granting exclusive rights of maintaining services of public motor vehicles and for enforcing the obligations of any persons to whom such rights may be granted etc. made by the Governor-in- Council on the 1st day of April 1921 were thereby rescinded.
14. On the 12th day of February 1925 your Petitioners wrote to the Honour- able the Colonial Secretary enquiring whether the Government would be prepared to consider proposals by your Petitioners for the provision of a railless trolley vehicle service or a motor omnibus service from the City Hall eastwards along Queen's Road East and Morrison Gap Road and westwards along Queen's Road Central and Queen's Road West which your Petitioners suggested would be a great convenience to the public.
15. On the 30th day of March 1925 the Honourable the Colonial Secretary wrote to your Petitioners informing them that the Government could not approve of either a railless trolley vehicle or motor bus service along the routes mentioned as the streets in question were too narrow for such vehicles and that the then present tramway supplemented by jinrikshas appeared to be sufficient,
16. By Regulations made by the Governor-in-Council under the Vehicles and Traffic Regulations Ordinance on the 1st day of October 1925 it was provided inter alia :-
(i) Grants of exclusive rights of maintaining services of public motor vehicles or any particular type or types or class or classes of public motor vehicles may be made by the Governor-in-Council in accordance with these Regula- tions.
(ii) Any grant shall be by licence and may be limited to any route or routes
within or portion or portions of the Colony.
(iii) No licence as aforesaid shall be granted unless it has been put up to public
tender.
17. On the 10th day of January 1927 the Honourable Mr. D: G. M. Bernard, the then Chairman of your Petitioners, wrote to the Honourable the Captain Super- intendent of Police with regard to traffic facilities in general in the Colony in which he stressed the idea of a co-ordinated scheme of electric and petrol bus traction free from any unfair competition in which your Petitioners were prepared to co-operate.
18. On the 9th day of August 1927 your Petitioners wrote to the Honourable the Colonial Secretary suggesting that a passenger transportation service from Cause- way Bay via Caroline Road, Leighton Hill Road, Morrison Gap Road, Queen's Road East, Queen's Road West to Whitty Street and return would be a great convenience to the public and enquiring whether the Government would be prepared to consider a
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