4
It is therefore proposed to sell the following properties situated in the town of Victoria, viz. :----
5-
I am to add that, on this being received, steps will be taken to lay before their Lordships, as soon as possible, a more detailed financial statement of the operation, but that now submitted is sufficient to show that there will be a very large profit, and consequently Mr. Secretary Stanhope solicits, with confidence, their Lordships' sanction to the scheme, in principle.
R. H. KNOX,
176
Spring Gardens, for Chinese dwellings, 41,652 feet at 2 dollars
per foot
Dollars.
£
83,304
13,537
East Married Quarters, for Chinese dwellings, front, 18,000 feet
at 4 dollars per foot
--
72,000
11,700
Ditto, half of back, 60,000 foer at 2 dollars per foot
120,000
**
North Barracks, for Furopeans, 162,400 feet at 2 dollars 50 cents
per foot
19,500
406,000
65,975
Commissariat buildings, for Europeans, 47,746 feet at 2 dollars
per foot
95,492
15,517
Total
776,796
126,229
CONTRIBUTION AND LANDS.
No. 6.
Treasury to War Office.
Treasury Chambers,
The above calculations are based on the assumption that 3s. 3d. is the value of a dollar,
The accommodation thus lost, which will have to be reprovided, will be as follows:--
Spring Gardens
East Married Quarters
(Approximately).
West Married Quarters, adjoining and part of
North Barracks
Total
12 married quarters. 12
11
18
17
42
At 3507-14,7001., say 15,0007.
£
Provost Prison for 18 prisoners, at present at North Barracks, to be reprovided elsewhere, perhaps at Kowloon, as part of the proposed military prison, say Barrack for one battery, Royal Artillery, at present at North Barracks, to be reprovided elsewhere, half at Stonecutter's Island and half at Lymoon, say..
Head-Quarter offices, at present at the Commissariat buildings,
to be reprovided elsewhere, probably at Scandal Point, say Commissariat Establishment, at present at Commissariat Buildings, to
be reprovided elsewhere, say ..
5,000
8,000
5,000
10,000
Alterations and reappropriations in Victoria, especially in Wellingtou
Barracks, consequent on the above moves, say Add 10 per cent. contingencies
3,000
4,600
Total
50,600
120,229
50,600
75,629
75,000
Assets from sale of War Department property.. Re-provisious
Net profit
Say..
I am therefore to solicit their Lordships' sanction for the proposed sales being effected.
I am to observe that the valuations and estimates submitted are merely approximate, but that, as regards the valuations, letters received from the station show that the Colonial authorities are prepared to look upon the sale to them of a portion of North Barracks, at 3 dollars per foot, somewhat as a favour, which, coupled with the prices which the War Department had to pay a few years ago for land in Victoria, affords fair grounds for believing that the valuations are not too high.
With regard to the estimates, I am to observe that it is believed that they are fairly liberal, but that it would be premature to work them out in detail until a general approval of the scheme be obtained from their Lordships.
Sir,
28th September, 1889. I am directed by the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury to forward, for the information of the Secretary of State, and with reference to Mr. Knox's letters of 6th August, 1888, and 9th January, 1889,* a copy of a letter on the amount to be provided by the Colony of Hong Kong in aid of. its military expenditure.
I am to say that my Lords have difficulty in reconciling the extracts given in the memorandum of the Inspector-General of Fortifications (Appendix D to the 4th section of the Report of the Committee on Colonial Military Con- tributions) with the proposal made, in Mr. Knox's letter of 9th January, respecting the sale of land in the town of Victoria. Sir Lothian Nicholson contemplated the sale of the North Barracks, including Provost Prison, and West Married Quarters. He thought that the North Barracks, owing to their position and large extent of water frontage, would be worth a considerable sum of money, perhaps as much as 140,000l. He added that it was also proposed to sell or dispose of Spring Gardens, and ultimately the Commissariat buildings and Head-Quarter offices, and that it was expected in each case that the property would realise enough to reprovide the accommo- dation lost by its surrender, and to leave a balance of profit to go towards meeting the cost of the additional barracks for the increased garrison.
Mr. Knox estimates that the sale of the North Barracks and Spring Gardens, will only produce 126,2291., and as he adds that provision must be made for the Head-Quarter offices and the Commissariat buildings elsewhere, my Lords presume that the land on which those offices stand, and which Sir Lothian Nicholson thought would produce a considerable sum over and above the price of the North Barracks (140,0007.), must be included in this sale. If that be the case, it follows that Sir Lothian's estimate was altogether too high. It is most important that there should be no misunderstanding on this point. and my Lords must ask, therefore, for a description of the lands in possession of the War Office in Hong Kong, and also for explanation showing how far the proposal made in Mr. Kuox's letter agrees with the proposals named by Sir Lothian Nicholson, so that the Treasury may understand to what extent deficiency is likely to arise upon Sir Lothian's estimate.
My Lords would ask turther whether it is intended that the lands proposed to be sold should be officially valued.
It is not clear whether the sum of 50,6007., required to replace the building lost by the sale of the lands, includes the cost of site. My Lords cannot but think that the Secretary of State should be able now to give a fairly accurate estimate of the cost of branch and hospital accommodation, assuming the increase of the garrison to be sanctioned. The Secretary of State must have observed how invariably approximate estimates for works and armaments have resulted in an increase of the burthen imposed on the British taxpayer, and he will understand my Lords' anxiety to ascertain as far as possible the financial result of the somewhat complicated arrangement by which the War Office propose to furnish the accommodation required for the garrison of Hong Kong.
R. E. WELBY.
* Nos. 1 und 5.
T. No.
13191
88
40248
157
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