114
3.
In a Report prepared by r. unean, the Hong Kong
Fort Engineer, in 1924, on the commercial development of the
Port of Hong Kong, some reference was made to the question of
future administration.
Duncan's Bolution was the
combination of private enterprise with ủovernment control and
supervision. He stressed that the first need was for a
Believing that
properly constituted Advisory Fort Authority.
private companies could not be expected to meet the cost of the
developmental works and reforms which were necessary to secur
true efficiency and economy in the handling of anrgoes, he
nevertheless thought that private enterprise should be
of the port encouraged rather than abandoned: but control/itaelf and of
all port facilities should be centred in the hands of
Government, who should put into operation such works and
extensions as the Advisory Authority might recommend.
basis of that policy was in är. uncan's own words "that,
while there would be the broad impartial outlook of Government
which would provide the costly works and lease them on
reasonable terms for the exploitation of the Fort, the
administration of business would be carried out by commercial
people who should be interested in despatch, efficiency, and
economy on the method of Profit and Loss."
14.
The
On the other hand, curmander Hole, the Harbour
knster, has more recently urged that the administration of the
port should be placed under the control of a Fort Commission
on the lines of that obtaining at Colombe.
As against this,
however, the Hong Kong Generel 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 will
be kept as cheap as possible and that the whart companies who
have