539
to fully $100,000. and are earning interest at the rate of 5% until disbursed.
+24.
The onus of the deadlock which has arisen therefore rests with General Black.
-25.
Whilst deferring to General Black's experience in military matters, the Committee unanimously venture to take exception to his objections to the proposed scheme. As the road is to be only 18 feet in width, it is scarcely justifiable to describe it as a "broad road". Again, it appears that the road could be rendered practically useless for hostile purposes by destroying a few short portions of it and, from the nature of the coast the Committee have no hesitation in saying that the landing of a force under cover of darkness at any point between Sandy Bay and Kennedy Town, would be an exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, operation. The road as designed would traverse the hillside at a level of about 55 to 60 feet above sea-level and would therefore have to be gained, assuming the landing to have been effected, by scrambling over ground which General Black himself describes as "so steep and rugged that no formed body of soldiers could move along it at night."
28. Finally, the Committee regard General Black's objections as out-of-date and somewhat far-fetched.
-27. The scheme for a road round Mount Davis is not a new one. It was broached on the occasion of the Colony's Jubilee in 1891 and was warmly taken up then but, owing to the depressed condition of affairs at that period, it was considered improbable that a sufficient sum of money could be raised to admit of its being carried out and accordingly it was dropped only to be revived again at the first opportunity which presented itself. No mention of any objections on military grounds was then made either by Major-General Barker, who was in command of the Forces at the time, or by any other Military Officer.
28. The Committee venture to think that the road will ere long become an absolute necessity in order to open out new sites to provide for the influx of the wealthier class of Chinese which is constantly going on.
Of late, there have been repeated instances of the purchase of villa residences on the upper levels of the City by Chinese and this is a
-5.
539
to fully $100,000. and are earning interest at the rate of 5% until dis-
bursed.
+24.
The onus of the deadlock which has arisen therefore rests with General Black.
-25.
Whilst deferring to General Black's experience in military matters, the Committee unanimously venture to take exception to his objections to the proposed scheme. As the road is to be only 18 feet in width, it is scarcely justifiable to describe it as a-" broad-" road. Again, it appears that the road could be rendered practically useless for hostile purposes by destroying a few short portions of it and, from the nature of the coast the Committee have no hesitation in saying that the landing of a force under cover of darkness at any point between Sandy Bay and Kennedy Town, would be an exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, operation. The road as designed would traverse the hillside at a level of about 55 to 60 feet above sea-level and would therefore have to be gained, assuming the land- ing to have been effected, by scrambling over ground which General Black himself describes as "so steep and rugged that no formed body of soldiers could move along it at night."
28. Finally, the Committee regard General Black's objections as out-of- date and somewhat far-fetched.
-27. The scheme for a road round Mount Davis is not a new one. It was Boobed on the occasion of the Colony's Jubilee in 1891 and was warmly taken up then but, owing to the depressed condition of affairs at that period, it was considered improbable that a sufficient sum of money could be raised to admit of its being carried out and accordingly it was dropped only to be revived again at the first opportunity which presented itself. No mention of any objections on military grounds was then made either by Major-General -Barker, who was in command of the Forces at the time, or by any other Military Officer.
28. The Committee venture to think that the road will ere long become an absolute necessity in order to open out new sites to provide for the influx of the wealthier class of Chinese which is constantly going on.
Of late, there have been repeated instances of the purchase of villa
物
residences on the upper levels of the City by Chinese and this is a
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