CO537-(33-34) — Page 881

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference

C.O.

537

34

יזי, ז

BE REPRODUCE) "HOTELLER

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOL TO

www.

Enclosures.

The China Mail.

MONOSONG, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1895-

+ HONGKONG'S LATEST ENTERPRISE,' *▲ REMEDY FOR OVERCROWDING,' These were the somewhat anomalous head. lines adopted recently by our esteemed even- ing contemporary with reference to 's new suburb to the City of Vistoria ' at that place of unsavoury recollections-Laichikok. The description of thla new city by the zen was published rather more than a week ago in the columns of our contemporary, sod from the description, furnished by Mr Bo Amei, the distinguished flasnoler, philanthropist and well-known manager of the-fourishing On Tallosurance,' we intend to treat our readers to a few extracts, At the outest, however, it may be necessary to state- 16 WO are likely to differ from Mr Ho

Amei,

and our esteemed evening con. temporary that we have no personal interest to serve in going into the sub. jest, beyond that of providing our rea- ders with details of what is certainly an in- teresting enterprise and one which does credit to its originator. In the course of an interview with the representative of our evening contemporary, Mr Ho Amei is re- ported to have said :-

Upwards of 200 nores of land, including foreshore, have been purchased from Chines by Chiness for the purpose of making an extension, a new suburb, to the city of Victoria which is, as you doubtless know, much needed. The land in question is situated between Samanipo and Laiohikok, in Chinese territory bordering on the north- western confines of this colony. Mr Li Bing is the prime mover in the enterprise and with him are associated, I understand, several other Chinese capitalists, including the well-known Fung Fuk and Tin Fak bong, Considerable headway has now been made, and already several scores of house have been almost completed. The houses are being made with bricks and good mortar, with tile roofs, two storeya high, and with ample air-space between oh blook. I have advised that the streets be made wide and be well metalled, as in Hongkong, and 1 bellave that advice will be soted upon. No attempt has yet been made to reclaim the foreshore for the reason that the managers of what you may possibly term Li-town have not yet finished levelling the area on which it is intended to build everal hundred houses and sell them out- and-out as soon as they are ready for occup. atloo. A far un li is possible to gune at present, the first sale of property in the new asttlement will take plaos about three months henne, and as the land has been bought pretty cheap and the materials, more especially the brioks and timber, have been obtained at a great bargain, there to no reason why the bulk of the property should not be sold cheap and yet yield handsome profits to the promotera. Of course, if the Chinese fook to the new suburb it will lead to the foreshore being made use of, but that won't be necessary for a year or twɑ yet at all areata. Ston-launches will run regu. atly between the new settlement and the

of Victoria, carrying passengers at Mitruly nominal rate, residents of the westly, ¦

ment

ment being granted monthly tickets at specially reduced rates. It is hoped that many respectable Chinese will buy land and houses over the way as family residences and that thus many well-to-do Chinese who I have houses in the interior will find it oon. venient and pleasant to pitch their teat in the neighbourhood of thin thriving colony. There is no doubt about a large number of respectable Chinese, who now live in Hongkong with their families, establishing homes for themselves in the new settlement, where they will have larger quarters and be less crowded than it is at present impossible to avoid in this over- arowded Colony. As far as protection is concerned the residents of the new Settle- ment will have no cause for uneasiness, for at present the Customs stations insure good protection, and if ultimately Kowloon and Laichikok come within the confines of Bri. tish territory there will still be ample pro. teotion for life and property. Such an ex- tension of Hongkong has long been needed, and, I am glad to say, the day when it will be un fait accompli is now within measurable distance.

We have and that the originator of the sobeme deserves credit. The evidence of that is best shown, we think, ia Mr Ho Amel'e closing sentences. If the land cover-

ed by the projected new oity comes, in the Dear future, within the bounds of English territory, it will be a good thing' for the speculatore, for it is, after all, nothing more or less than a speculation, shrewd, perhaps, but still a speculation. This land, 'bought pretty cheap,' with the bricks and timber 'obtained at a great bargain,' will become enhanced in value immediately the British obtain possession of the whole peninsula of Kowloon, and the present holders, together with the other land-grabbers who are wait- ing to benefit by government action, are likely to realise fortunes. They are not to be blamed for that; nay, we rather admire

their shrewdness and enterprise.

So much by way of preliminary com. ment. What are the facts as learned by a representative of the China Mail, not from

Mr Ho Amei, but on the spot P

The ground on which the new city is to

be built is that narrow strip of land at the foot of the adjacent Kowloon hills, running from Laicbikok to the Chinese village of Bam. shaipo-the pestiferous haunt of the worst types of Kwangtung oriminals, the refuge of thieves, robbers, and murderere fleeing from Alongkong's minions of the law. We have

no personal knowledge of Sodom and Go- morrah, but judging from what we learn of these places in soriptural narrative and what we know from actual experience of Kowloon City and Chinese Samshuipo, we should say that if there were points in favour of either

DOMO

of the couples, Sodom and Gomorrah held the odds. That is the locality to which the respectable Chinese families of Hongkong and the interior of China are invited to and dwell under the protecting agi of the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs, who ought to be flattered by having this honour thrust upon them ! Be tween the paddy fields, rich in their fresh

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