V
pw gears
ere are, apart from the now gost offices, Butter work alwady
hand which
it will cost $393,000 to complete, beaches
mplate. [These figures I take from lucl: 5 to 8510.
of
Mk
D1
less
argency
which will
cost $35-8,000 to
(
esitles thase
the Law Courts Post Office from $130,000 to $170,000 I have recreued in meinting
there ability to undertake
ar
to cost $400,000 of the new
on the
Works.
leliainter the Colony's parent-
? Ach & refer to our Despatch on the Estimates
r.c.m. 18/11 See further
See
9
25014 Leasing of Lands 25515 Extinter-
I agree that
2
Million sollars
is perhaps
too high
on Estimates Despatch 23375–
an estimate of the proceeds of Land which
it is proposed to sell & we should port out that-
ha
herken your handly any state befur accepting his run that the yo years systems will produce reduction in the profits
profits of Landsales
to hear
further
are should
Ret
to
actual sales tout with hawan
tabur place under the
new system. The only cestince
quoted in 25014 seemed to show a falling off of nearly
20p.e.
Embody this is
this in Despatch on Extermates explaining we cannot sanctione vraction of P. for the present
is provided & antic Revenue
Extra
why
is
Taxa
54928
Pdid
1
them.
it is erected ther overcrowding i be brought in the. There will be p1.
means of a tramway-s1
369
bope
1 into the new Post Office. (Hea majority of eight votes. Ifon. The resolution was then put
resolution. head and Hon. C. F. Chater vo
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. of saving three lakhs of dollars or more, and could transfer the er if we take off the amount which the hou. just across a 75-feet road. Suppose that saves
mails from the wharf; the new Peddar's Wharf, I member (Mr. Whitel end) says ought to be two minutes. Thuse persons who wait for their It will be 200 feet I
not known that the now pis deducted from it, say twenty per cent., it would mails--the Chinese anil the Europeans living on certainly the fines still be more economical by a sum of nearly two the upper levels--will have to go a further walk already been order
as tollars. Whether the scheme is efficient after getting their letters, so really it is not a or not is a matter no doubt for those who will saving to
it may be 12 hare to occpy the main premi, that is to gay.
saving to the Post the Postmaster-General, the Treasurer, the Di-matter which should be considered is the cou. Office, but I think the rector of Public Works himself, and others. venience of the public. There is one portion of Whether the new scheme would provide enough the community who are peculiarly located. room for them and in the most convenient meau the residents of Kowloon." How about form they can give their own testimony upon, their clahas ? Is the old site or the new site but assuming for the present that they are in more convenient to them? favour of the scheme, there is therefore no doubt venient to land at the old Paller's Wharf and Is it more con- that the scheme proposed by the Director of go to the old site or to land at the old Peddor's Public Works would be the most efficient. Now I Wharf and go to the new site ? say that the keeping of the Post Office and the to the remarks which the hon. member With regard Treasury on the present site is undoubtedly the representing the Chamber of most convenient to the majority of the Earo mude about the original Committes having Commerco pean community--(sar, hear)--and decidedly | sat for two years and two cathe constlering so to all the Chinese community; and as repré the scheme for the erection of Government senting the Chinese community I must say that buildings and then unanimously considering so far as I know their opinion is unanimously that the in favour of keeping the Post Oleo and
proper site for the Post Office was on the Praya, I surmise that that ques- the Treasury on the present site. An assertion tion of building on the old site was never has been made 1.bat the Post Office is brought before the Committee. Nor does any generally and mostly used by large European sentiment cuter into the question of retaining fros. Now, sir, I would wemind the the old site; it is a matter of convenience and gentleman who made that statement that either the people of Hongkong uur the mout during the last few years wo have tried our ut-bers of this Council have any sentimental most to make the Chinese use the Post regrets. Office, and it will not do after having got the financial side of the scheme because I do not I do not propose to deal with the Chinese to make use of the Post Office to remove think it is before the Council. However, it f it some five minutes or even thre and a halt am allowed, I should like to say that I bare minutes' walk away from the centrai position of worked out the figures. and it appears to the town and entailing on them an extra two cents 10 that whichever Way in the hire of a ricksha. And, furthermore, the building of offices on the old site is the look at it the Chinese make use of the Treasury more most economical scheme that has been pat be than the Europeans. The European sords his fore us. I ink, sir, that we are in need of new cheque in payment of rates, taxes, and so on, offices, and I think we should hurry on this work Imt the Chinese have to go to the Treasury and as fast as we can. Now with regard to my own pay in cash and get a receipt from the Treasurer. office, the Treasury, I am quite of opinion that In that way also three and a half minutes' walk the Treasury ought to be re-greeted on its pre- more or less to the Chinese would be a great sent site, and I think the balance of convenience hardship. Of course if other cases have to be points that way. I bave here rough figures considered we may force the Chinese to walk a showing, the number of Europeans who little further, but since we can save a couple of might use the Treasury and the number of lakhs of dollars by this scheme I really do not Chinose. The number of European owners of see why we should vote for the Post Office and tenement in Victoria and the villages is 297 Treasury to be removed to a plot of land a long sad the number of Chinose owners of tenements, distance away from the centre of the town. in Victoria alone is 1,066. That seems to prove Especially to remove that site would be an incon- conclusively as far as the population is con venience to the majority of the European com cerned that the balance of convenience is in munity as well. For these reasons I have no favour of the Treasury being where it is. besitation in supporting the new scheme as pro- poanded by the Director of Public Works, and I shall cordially support the resolution that he has proposert.
|
WB
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS--I think there is very little for me to reply to, but Ishond like to make some remarks with regard to the statements by the hon. member for the Chamber of Commerce. It may have been a stip when he described the site of the old Post Office as being the centre of the European portion of the town. As I say, it may have been a slip, and if it was | I do not wish to take advantage of it; but that description could not be applied to the site ou the front of the Praya, which, when the Naval reclamation is completed, will be at one corner, I may say, of the business quarter of the town, There is the harbour in front on one side and the Naval reclamation a few hundred yards on the other side. With regard to the sale of Plot 1, I said nothing in my resolution about the finan- cial side of the question. I said that the Post Offen and the Treasury could be built on the present site for 890,000. I have gone into the figures in several different ways and I am con- vinced that the estimate is a very fair one. said nothing about the sale lot No. 1, because I hope orentually that it will not be necessary to sell that at all. The Hongkong and Shang-
1
Hon. WUI YUK-Sir, I quite concur with all that the bou. member (Hon. Ho Kai) has said.
The COLONIAL TREASURER---Sir, I came pre- pared this afternoon to combat arguments against the resolution, but I am in the pleasant position of not being called upon to do so. It appears to me, sir, that the first consideration-the chief consideration--in regard to the Post Office site is t it should be on the main road, and, other being equal, I think that the old site is as table for the purpose of a Pest Office as any new site. Ido not think there can be any question for a moment that the old site is more central than the new site. It seems to me, sir, that the old site is a most coramanding site. If you knock down the Clock Tower, as I believe it is The intention of the Government to do, you will ave a very fine frontage to the east and you have already a fairly wide road on the south, and with the skill of the builder we could no doubt have a building surrounded on all four sides by roads. Now, sir, it has not been stated inhal Bank have treated the colony in a most this Couusilto day--but I may as well refer to that, point-that there is doubt in some quarters about the sufficiency of light and air ou the old site. If you have roads all round the building it seems ne that that question in the hands of skilled kmen, and skilled designers, is a question that ld be very casily solved. It is not a question superfluity of light. Undoubtedly the post. tion on the Praya would give a good deal inore light than the old site, but the question is, eguld the old site provido sufficient air and ht I think there can be no doubt-in view of per construction of windows, &c., and an open all road the building that the huilding be furnished with sufficient light and 'omething has been said to-day about the dvantage in the saving of time if you
handsome manner, leaving two frost lots vacant, while they also gave up a strip of laud on each side of their building, widening Wardley Street and the old Peays, and they also gave up a strip of land on the south side, en net which unfortunately was not copied by the building next to it. remark that there is no reed for hurry, the pre- With regard to the sent state of the Post Cillee shows there is con- siderable need for burry. perience have I seen
Never in my ex- a Post Office worse arranged or more inconvenient than the Houg- koug Post Office. There is no proper place to put the mails, no security, and confusion raus in the placs because there are no proper ar rangements and no space. Therefore I think considerable burry is necessary. With regard to
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.