CO129-265 - Public Offices & Others - 1894 — Page 337

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As, however, only 16,0001. of this amount is available at the present moment, Mr. Stanhope proposes to undertake work to that amount only to

commence with.

The rest of the buildings will be taken in hand as the contribution from the Colony, or the assets from the sale of War Department lands, shall have been received.

H. ST. JOHN BRODRICK,

33

No. 3.

BARRACKS-HONG KONG.

War Office to Treasury,

War Office,

331

T. No.

5906

92

No. 2.

BARRACKS-HONG KONG,

Treasury to War Office.

Treasury Chambers,

14th April, 1892.

Sir,

4478

Hong

The Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury have had before them Kong 2

Hong Kong 2 4496 your letter of the 4th instant,

-, respecting the expenditure on providing barrack accommodation for a native Indian regiment at Hong Kong, and direct me to say that, in the present uncertainty as to the funds that will be available for this service, they agree with Mr. Secretary Stanhope that it will be expedient to restrict the work, for the present, to what can be paid for out of the sum of 16,000, stated to be at his disposal, for the purpose, out of the Imperial Defence Loan.

In

I am however to ask how this sum of 16,0001. comes to be available. their letter of the 15th February, 1890, my Lords sanctioned the commencement of the following works, which it was supposed would absorb the whole of the sum allotted out of the Loan to Hong Kong, viz. :-

Barrack for half battalion at Lymoon Seventy married quarters in Victoria

£

10,000

30,000

40,000

As explained in Treasury letter of the 12th October, 1889, my Lords consider it an essential part of any scheme for the provision of barrack and hospital-accommodation at Hong Kong, that one-half (or whatever other pro- portion may be ultimately fixed) of the net cost, after applying proceeds of sales, should be defrayed by the Colony, and that new sites required should be provided by the Colony out of Crown lands so far, as possible." But in urging the Colonial Office to press such an arrangement upon the Colony, it is scarcely necessary to point out the desirability of giving a trustworthy estimate of the amount of charge which it will entail on. Colonial funds. The Colony cannot be expected willingly to commit itself to an indefinite liability, over the growth of which it can exercise no control.

* No. 1.

G. L. RYDER.

No. 7 of Correspondence relating to the Military Contribution payable by Hong Kong and to the War Department Lands at that Station,"

Sir,

92

27th July, 1893. With reference to your letter* of the 14th April, 1892, 5906

respecting expenditure in connection with the provision of barrack accommodation at Hong Kong, I am directed by the Secretary of State for War to acquaint you, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, that the building of the married quarters, to which reference is made, was postponed in favour of the housing of the Hong Kong Regiment and the erection of a barrack on Stonecutters Islaud, which were considered more mportant services.

With regard to the concluding paragraph of your letter, now under reply, am to forward an estimate of the cost of the barrack scheme which has been carried out in part, and which it is proposed to complete in order to accommo- date the increased garrison, and to make some other provisions which are argently required for the health and training of the troops.

This estimate amounts to 1,003,263 dollars, or 158,8501., reckoning the dollar at 3s. 2d. To this estimate 10 per cent must be added for contingencies,

hich increases the amount to 1,103,589 dollars, or 174,7357.

In order to arrive at an estimate at all, it was necessary to prepare a definite scheme, but it is obvious that further consideration, or changing cir- cumstances, may render it desirable to make many modifications, or even sub- tantial alterations, in this scheme. Such changes, however, would not ecessarily imply increased cost.

The estimate has been prepared on the basis of 3s. 2d. to the dollar, and ill necessarily be affected to an extent that cannot be forseen, by the fluctua- ons that may take place in the course of years in the value of silver, the cost of materials, and the rates of

wages.

These are factors that cannot be brought into such an estimate, which, owever, is sufficient to show that, as to the scheme at present contemplated, he charge which would be thrown on the Colony by the arrangement under hich they should provide half the cost of building barrack accommodation in he future, is not likely to exceed 551,794 dollars, or 87,3671., which sum would e required to be provided during the course of the next eight years, as far as an be foreseen, in approximately equal annual instalments.

The Imperial moiety of 551,794 dollars, or 87,367, would be provided to he extent of about 35,0001, under the Imperial Defence Loan, "Barracks at waling Stations," viz. :—

£

30,000 already scheduled to Hong Kong,

5,000 possible transfers from other coaling stations.

36,000 - 221,052 dollars.

The balance, about 330,742 dollars, or 52,367, it is proposed to provide the annual estimates, as soon as the expenditure under the Imperial Defence pan comes to an end.

In order to prepare a definite scheme it was necessary to consider carefully e whole question of barrack accommodation at Hong Kong, and to take into count all that would be required to improve and complete it up to the scale modern requirements.

This naturally resulted in an estimate considerably larger than that now bmitted, embracing as it did the provision of a hospital on shore for the rrison, exclusive of the Indian regiment, in place of the hospital ship

• No. 2.

Hong Kong 2 4565

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