2
No.23 (Continued)
After the surrender of the Japanese, the Military Authorities expressed themselves as being extremely desirous that our Company re-commence operations in Hong Kong at the earliest possible date in order for essential petroleum products to be supplied to the commercial trade. When the Military Authorities handed over control to the Civil Authorities, the Civil Authorities expressed the same desire. To fulfil this request we have installed temporary facilities in the form of bolted tanks, filling machines and temporary warehouses, and made emergency repairs on our piers.
In order to serve the needs of the community in Hong Kong, as well as to provide facilities to handle transhipments for South China, we have planned an extensive rehabilitation programme for our Terminal at Laichikok and have already begun rehabilitation work on a permanent basis. The degree of damage to our piers is such that we must spend considerable money on permanent repairs in the very near future. These repairs to piers cannot under any circumstances be delayed until after the date of expiration of our pier lot leases on 1st January, 1950.
In view of the very considerable financial commitment that our Company will need to make in carrying out this programme, and the obvious relationship which this programme bears to the general economic rehabilitation of Hong Kong, we hope that the Government will take the earliest possible opportunity to assure us that our interests will be protected when the time comes that our pier lot leases expire, either through the renewal of existing pier lot leases or the granting of new leases at a reasonable rental for a considerable number of years, with option of further renewal.
We take this opportunity to thank you for the privilege of expressing our views, as outlined above, to your Committee.
Colonial Secretariat,
Hong Kong.
October 17, 1946.