1841-1886
PAPERS RELATING TO
works which were undertaken in Duddell Street, and for a small portion of which some Crown land was sold. My honourable friend on my left (Mr. Belilios) has those works in hand also. Upon that site there is now being built, as you see, substantial and magnificent godowns, and I think some of these, as many as nine of them, though not yet finished, are actually let.
New Sugar Refinery.
which was sold for
Finally, I come to inland lot No. 837, $24,500 to Messrs. Butterfield and Swire. That is a lot about halfway between this and Shau-ki-wán, at a place called Quarry Bay, and the only reason why any one can speak of the Government having got larger prices than it ought to expect for land is that with reference to the sale of this lot an incident occurred which might give rise to the idea there was some speculation. I think it was $6,000 that in consultation with Mr. Bowdler we arranged as the sum at which the upset price for that lot should be fixed. I may mention that, as usual in such cases, I received representations that the upset price was somewhat too high. From time to time in 1881, with respect to the lots at Bowrington especially, I myself ventured considerably to increase the upset price the Survey Department recommended. Representations were made to me on the subject, but I did not feel justified in reducing the price. But with respect to this particular lot I understand, in fact, it is a matter of notoriety, commented on in the public press, that though the upset price was something like $6,000, a gentleman attended at the sale and ran the price up to $24,500. Well, there can be no doubt whatever from all I understand, if that gentleman had obtained the lot for $24,500, it would not have been for the purpose of erecting upon it a sugar refinery. Messrs. Butterfield and Swire intend to put upon it a sugar refinery, which I am disposed to think will be one of the best sugar refineries in Her Majesty's Colonial empire. When I was Governor-in-Chief in the Windward Islands I had an opportunity of seeing a remarkable sugar refinery built at St. Lucia, which at that time was supposed to be the best in the British Colonies. Having seen the plans and estimates of the new sugar refinery, with an account of the machinery now on its way out, obtained from Blake, Barclay, & Co., of Greenock, I have no hesitation in saying we are about to have a sugar refinery in Hong Kong that can compete with the large refinery at St. Lucia. This new manufactory will consist of a building having nine floors; it will be constructed to a great extent of iron, on the modern system and with the latest machinery. The total sum which will be expended on the undertaking when completed will not be far short, I believe, of $200,000.
Now that is, gentlemen, a detailed account of what was done with the Crown lands sold by me in 1881. There is nothing in
Page 655
1841-1886
PAPERS RELATING TO
works which were undertaken in Duddell Street, and for a small portion of which some Crown land was sold. My honourable friend on my left (Mr. Belilios) has those works in hand also. Upon that site there is now being built, as you see, substantial and magnificent godowns, and I think some of these, as many as ning of them, though not yet finished, are actually let.
New Sugar Refinery.
which was sold for
Finally, I come to inland lot No. 837, $24,500 to Messrs. Butterfield and Swire. That is a lot about halfway between this and Shau-ki-wán, at a place called Quarry Bay, and the only reason why any one can speak of the Govern- ment having got larger prices than it ought to expect for land is that with reference to the sale of this lot an incident occu:red which might give rise to the idea there was some speculation. 1 think it was $6,000 that in consulation with Mr. Bowdler we arranged as the sum at which the upset price for that lot should be fixed. I may mention that, as usual in such cases, I received representations that the upset price was somewhat too high. From time to time in 1881, with respect to the lots at Bowrington especially, I myself_ventured considerably to increase the upset price the Survey Department recommended. Representations were made to me on the subject, but I did not feel justified in reducing the price. But with respect to this particular lot I understand, in fact, it is a matter of notoriety, commented on in the public press, that though the upset price was something like $6,000, a gentleman attended at the sale and ran the price up to $24,500. Well, there can be no doubt whatever from all I under- stand, if that gentleman had obtained the lot for $24,500, it would not have been for the purpose of erecting upon it a sugar refinery. Messrs. Butterfield and Swire intend to put upon it a sugar re- finery, which I am disposed to think will be one of the best sugar refineries in Her Majesty's Colonial empire. When I was Governor-in-Chief in the Windward Islands I had an opportunity of seeing a remarkable sugar refinery built at St. Lucia, which at that time was supposed to be the best in the British Colonies. Having seen the plans and estimates of the new sugar refinery, with an account of the machinery now on its way out, obtained from Blake, Barclay, & Co., of Greenock, I have no hesitation in saying we are about to have a sugar refinery in Hong Kong that can compete with the large refinery at St. Lucia. This new manufactory will consist of a building having nine floors; it will be constructed to a great extent of iron, on the modern system and with the latest machinery. The total gum which will be expended on the undertaking when completed will not be far short, I believe, of 200,000/
Now that is, gentlemen, a detailed account of what was done with the Crown lands sold by me in 1881. There is nothing in
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