109
Future administration or the Fort of
nonf one
The development of the harbour of Hong Kong` hos
largely been left to private enterprise. NumePMB Fiers of rsvor
varying design and utility have been constructed from time to
time to serve the needs of percicular trades. The majority of
these are in private hands, being leaaed either as "permanent
plers, in which case the rights are due to expire on the 31st
December, 1949, or on annual licenses as temporary" piers.
The storage of merchandise for local consumtion, export, or in
transit, is carried out by a multitude of private firms, each
owning or leasing go-downs around the harbour. Strategio
water-fronts have been acquired by private enterprise and a
further obstacle to unified development on modern lines is the
accumulation of "merine frontage rights" resulting from
sucemsive reclamation schemes.
Thus the development of the port to the beat
advantage has become a problem of increasing difficulty, and
the knowledge that heavy compensation might have to be met has
at times deterred dovernment from proceeding with urgent
works.
The matter has been under consideration for a numer
or years; but it has now assumed a special urgency owing to
the necessity for an early decision as to whether the
Government will be prepared to renew the pier leases due to
expire in 1949. In Cotuber, 1938, the Governor made an
announcement in the Legislative Council to the effect that it
was not the Government's present intention to renew any of
these leases, as it had in feet been the Government's policy
for the past 17 years to take possession of all pier sites
in 1949. The Governor, however, romised that the question
of the future organisation of the port would at once be
taken into consideration.
3.