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object was not to improve the Harbour from a shipping point of view, although some of the work may have been of benefit in that way, but it was for the purpose of making land on which to construct houses, offices and premises necessary for the growing population. Owing to the geographical features of the Colony, consisting, as it does, largely of hilly country, it became more difficult as time went on, to find level ground on which to build, hence the idea of reclamation,
(59) As a matter of fact, reclamation was started in the
early days of the Colony and has been continued at short intervals ever since, the principal ones being The Praya Reclamation 1890-1902 and The Praya East Reclamation 1921-1929. The reclamations have been financed in various ways; the larger ones were carried out under schemes whereby the holders of the
old Harbour frontage lots of land participated in proportion to the areas they held, and subscribed to the cost of the work
in like proportion. The Government, in each case, subscribed and participated in proportion to the areas it held. Many smaller reclamations have been carried out by private persons and companies, and in Kowloon the Government has reclaimed, at a cost paid out of revenue, large areas of land in Taikoktsui, Shamshuipq Ma Tau Kok and Kowloon City. The railway reclamation in Hung Hom
Bay was financed by money raised by the Government on loan which
has now been redeemed.
(60) I shall have to deal later with the question of future reclamation, as it closely bound up with the development of
the Harbour.
(61) Present and future control of the Harbour. The above
are all important factors in the Port problem, and I now proceed
to the real question which arises out of them and which is, "The
measures by which the Part could in future be developed and
controlled to the best advantage of all persons and interests
dependent on its services."