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3.
In a Report prepared by Ar. Duncan, 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. Mr. Duncan's solution was the
combination of private enterprise with Government 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 secure
true efficiency and economy in the handling of cargoes, he
nevertheless thought that private enterprise should be of the port encouraged rather than abandoned: but control itself and of
all rort 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 Mr. Duncan'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 Los8."
4.
The
On the other hand, Commander Hole, the Harbour
Master, has more recently 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 wil)
be kept as cheap as possible and that the wharf companies whe
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