*
117
Future_dministration of the Furt or
Hong onto
The development of the harbour of Hong Kong has
largely been left to private enterprise. Kumerous piers of
varying design and utility have been constructed from time to
time to serve the needs of particular trades. The majority of
these are in private hanus, being leased either as "permanent"
piers, in which case the rights are due to expire on the Hist
December, 1949, or on annual licenses as "temporary" piers.
The storage of merchandise for local consumption, export, or in
transit, is carried out by a multitude of private firms, each
owning or leasing go-downs around the harbour. Strategic
water-fronts have been acquired by private enterprise and a
further obstacle to unified development on modern lines is the
accumulation of "marine frontage rights" resulting from
successive reclamation schemes.
2. Thus the development of the port to the best
advantage has become a problem of increasing difficulty, and
the knowledge that heavy compensation might have to be met has
at times deterred Government from proceeding with urgent
works. The matter has been under consideration for a number
of 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 October, 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 fact been the Government's policy
for the past 17 years to take possession of all pier sites
in 1949. The Governor, however, rromised that the question
of the future organisation of the port would at once be
taken into consideration,
3