Sir, Your Most Obedient
Kumble Servant,
Mack
M
Go
と
Administering the Government.
herefore out in his calculations to xtent of $60.000. This is a detail of course, in making calculations of this kind it is well exact, if possible. The building area at disposal of the Government at present is--
Plot No. 1 on Reclamation.. Plot No. 2
*
་་
Total
Of this it is proposed to sell
Plot 1
d.
a total of feet.
Ormsby in his memorandum, ever, does not recommend the Action, at present, of a store house the Public Works Department. e can therefore deduct
25.860
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
vice versu.
65
March 5, 1898.
1:07
ions for
high. uncil. two
Fora
Di
1
3.
Committee appointed by Sir William Robinson fore, if the Government really wish to moet ** in September, 1894,--the Committee that sat wish of the commu for two years and two months and reported the expenditure of free-quarters of a million of in this matter, involv up in 競 report dated 23rd November, 1896. dollars, I would suggest that the Government That Committee, sir, was composed of follow the same course as was followed recently five members. square feet.
Two of them were the by the appointment of a small tee of 34,230
former Director of Public Works and the five, presided over by an impartiai Chas 49,630
officer holding the dual office of Postmaster to wit, the Chief Justice, invite sus Genoral and Treasurer. In regard, sir, to the fresh proposals to be sent in within 83,860
late Director of Public Works, all will admit take further evidence and report to this that he was an extremely able and a most in- All that could be done within ix week 34,230 dustrious officer-thear, hear)-and one mouths at the outside. It is, I agre ordially thoroughly indepondent and thoroughly com with the Government, most desi able to Leaving 49,630
petent to advise the Government as to what facilitate matters for the Chinese in regard to Add sites of present Post Office
was best for the proposed now Government the new Post Office, but the question of the ed Supreme Court House
offices. I will now refer, sir, to the lay distance between the front site on the Reclama. be retained)
members of the Committee. There was Mr.
tion and the present Post Office is hy a matter A area occupied by "Bea
Jackson, who has had an experience-a very of three and a half minutes. To walk it would pusfield" (to be purchased) 14,754
pratical experience of the colony during the take only three and a half minutes, while to go last thirty-four years, Mr. McConachie, in a ricksha is a question of two minutes, Take, 90,250
another member of that Committee, has been on the other hand, the question wharves. After purchasing Beaconsfield the Chairman of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, Pedder's wharf is the most important wharf in iment (supposing it adopts this scheme Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, and the colony. It is already-at all events it will Director of Public Works) would have has also had an experience of some thirty years of be when ready-as it was in four years, disposal an extra area of 6,391 square feet the colony. The senior unofficial member (Mr. overburdened with traffic, and to and mails 1 for building purposes. This would be Chater) has also had an experience of upwards there it would be necessary to take them ly carrying out the recommendation of of thirty-five years of the colony, 1 submit from the launch to the wharf, from Cho hitects consulted by the Crown agents, therefore that that Committee was thoroughly wharf to trolley, from a trolley to the jus heir report they tell us that the area of representative of the community, and they sent Post Office site, and then carry them square feet now at the disposal of the unanimously reported in favour of the retention into the Post Office. Whereas if the front ament is not sufficient for the require. of the sites in front of the City Hall for the site on the Reclamation is utilized there is By purchasing Beaconsfield therefore proposed now Government offices. That scheme Queen's Statue wharf which could be used for penditure of $63,910 would be saved, differs from the one propounded by the Director
mail purposes and the mails could be carried to acquire 6,391 square feet of land of Public Works a few weeks after his arrival to the Post Office across a 75 fest saree and vicinity of Queen's Rond at least here. If is the course of another month another
There is much to be s he Director of Public Works arrives possibly he the financial side of the question, and the per square foot would have to
I think this is sufficiently demon may have another scheme; but the absence of con- I am not now in a position to record n Now for the funds required. The tinuity on the part of the Crown colonial Govern in favour of the second portion of th of the Commission shows (on page 9) thement is a defect in that system. The Committee
tion. I quite agree with the dese I gate sum needed to be
$557,600 appointed by Sir Williani Robinson recommended but I submit that the Council
the retention and utilization of the sites on the position to vote until we have med Traya Reclamation in front of the City Hall. enquiries and satisfied ourselves ng 10 Blu No doubt the sale of the site of the present cial side of the scheme brought grand Post Office would be unpleasant to many, partly Director of Public Work which seles 90,000 on account of sentiment and otherwise. There tirely at variance with the recur
is a fooling that if it were sold it would be con- the Committee, who sat tur fr $467,600 | verted into Chinese houses and bring the months. I may just cre
Chinese into the midst of the European reason why I question 162,000 part of the town; but those reasons will the front site on the "ecla Sist. that' not stand. We may be sorry at the removal of the new blocks of office: Trendy in es * of $305,500 an old land mark, but the site of the pres nt construction, and other ich are ab to be
Post Office, I am assured on the very best au constructed are, I under છે, ] ઘર: ધ let thority-experts and other gentlemen outside of The principal firms, arezce en bios 63,910 this Council-is more valuable by forty to fifty the shipping and o
per cent. than the present site opposite the secured as tenants ! Hongkong Club. The Director of Public leases. I have a list Works at the last meeting of Council said :---
panies, over a score i "My office is resorted to at all hours of the day booked. And, sir, a? by overseers, contractors, and land-holders, and mises or hold thon to have a stream of such constantly passing up a other principal firms two-storey building would be most objection Co., Butterfield and able to all the other offices in the block." Company own their That little difficulty might be very easily got
Hon. Ho KAI-I over by making a separate entrance which would
remarks in support have no connection whatever between the two standing what the ho offices. The financial side of the scheme is one
ber of Commerco has with which I am not satisfied. I am informed
not ready or not in a on the very best authority, after careful investigation and calculation, that it will be question, I contend.
have had a long tim a long time before the frout site on the reclama- and we ought tion can be sold at the valuation placed upon decision. I remera it. Some estimate the value at twenty per cent. hon. gentleman less than that placed upon it by the Director the contrary trac of Public Works. There are other schemes,
Government for no however, which could be suggested. Why not forward in a speedy add one or two storeys to the building in which mission appointed
The foundations are amply subject was that it we are now? suficient to carry two more floors and to shelving the quest yield the best offices, certainly as good offices the contrary, be as any in the colony for light, air and ventilation. I am afraid, sir, that this appoint auother (
this question, It is ! question has not been approached without
member to say it mi bias and without prejudice, but opinions are
with this scheme. The Government have pro- it lasts ten times 1 divided and there is no hurry to push forward weeks, but as far as mission lasts a good vided extra accommodation for the Post Office and have also lessed Beaconsfield. Your Ex with just as of ot
two years. Now, - cellency at the last meeting said the Govern who has just t economical azt« !·
leaving...
estimated cost of Mr. Ormsby's heme is ...
eh deduct from the amount
+
...
ned by the Commission, leaves luding the surplus area of 6,391 bare feet (acquired if Beacons. be purchased) at $10 per foot
means a total saving to the co- of of
$369,510 Be adoption of the scheme of my hon. friend yright. This is a very large saving, and the s should be adopted without hesitation, especially if we endorse the gloomy views or financial position taken by the hon. mem. epresenting the Chamber of Commerce, a few weeks back prognosticated in this boil that in our gold engagements alone colony stands to lose one million of dollars. owever, for the sake of economy, it is sub- ently deemed desirable to add one, two, or extra stories to the proposed two-storied Stare in Queen's Road instead of continuing apy the cool, airy, and quiet quarters secured e officials in Beaconsfield, the money so I will go to still further angment the 510 I have already mentioned as the ant saved by the adoption of the scheme of Director of Public Works. With these arks, Sir, I beg to record my vote for the lution which is
now before the Council. resolution contains nothing about the hase of Beaconsfield; therefore the bon. aber opposite can have no ground to lodge her protest against my roting on this
. T. H. WHITEHEAD-Your Excellency, to make a few remarks, and to begin I would state emphatically that I am el to no scheme. I am here with an open I am not interested in property on the Praya Reclamation or elsewhere and I am to vote for the scheme which will be the efficient, give us the best service and be Test economical. (Hour, hear.) Your Ex- ty at the last meeting of Council said that whole community had had ample time to con. this question. Sir, the question which the unity have had time to consider is the ques- as put before the Government by the
BOU.
ment were most anxious to know the real wish of the colony on the subject because it is a matter which not only affects us now but affects the colony for all time, at least as far as we are concerned for the next fifty or sixty years. That is true. The colony, I believe, sir, is in its infancy, as it has been decided to open the internal waters of the vast Fimpire of China to foreign trude and steam navigation. There
same time I sa venient schenį proved to be ilg not to a section Sir, whether th Director of Pu or not is the f has the advan
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