54422/1/48
3
GM
M'Wallace.
The petition enclosed at (1) is addressed to Lord Listowel by an association purporting to represent leaseholders who were expropriated when the Japanese extended the Kai Tak airfield. It refers to the hardships the petitioners have suffered and contends that since the Hong Kong
Government is continuing to occupy the airfield alternative land should be provided and compensation paid for crops, buildings etc. which were destroyed. It emphasises that this compensa tion should not be treated as a matter for Japanese reparation and also expresses concern that the compensation which the Government is proposing to pay for land does not take account of the high values now prevailing. A petition in similar terms was addressed to the Governor on 27th January 1948.
2.
In his despatch the Governor refers to the bill under which compensation would be paid for land only on the basis of values prevailing on 1st September 1945. The First Reading of this bill was postponed pending settlement of points raised here and in the meantime the Governor has taken note of the petition of 27th January and investigated the possibility of providing alternative land instead of cash compensa tion.
3.
He recommends that our reply to the petitioners should
(a) confirm the decision not to award
compensation for buildings etc. destroyed.
(b) reject the claim to monetary compensation
calculated at the post war inflated
(c)
values of land
inform them that while it may be possible to grant land in exchange in some cases, it is not practicable to give a general undertaking to do so.
(a) and (b) are in line with views expressed here after consultation with the Treasury and the Governor is obviously the best judge of (c).
Kadford
25. 5. 48.
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