despatch, efficiency and economy on the method of
Profit and Loss."
6
Commander Hole, the Harbour Master, urged
that the administration of the Port should be placed
under the control of a Port Commission on the lines
of that obtaining at Colombo. As against this,
however, the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce
has declared that the development of the Harbour
should be left as at present in the hands of private
enterprise on the grounds that this is most likely to
secure that harbour facilities be kept as cheap as
possible and that the Wharf Companies who have
developed their frontages should be able to look for-
ward to assured possession and control of their own
activities. The Hong Kong Government has made it
clear that it cannot accept any suggestion that past
expenditure by existing private enterprise gives the
latter any claim to the perpetuation of their present
rights of user; and it is not irrelevant to quote
the following paragraph from Mr. Nicol's report
"It is known that certain pier owners
exploit shipping and that large rentals are paid
for very indifferent berthage. Further, there
is an outcry from time to time for the construction
Some
of berthage that would give a protection to
shipping during the approach of typhoon storms,
but the construction of such works, if desirable,
would seem to be beyond the means of privaté
enterprise."
It is, however, difficult to assess the ulative
opinions
value of these various homes without reference to
the adequacy of the exis ting harbour facilities. The
volume