CO129-299 - Administrator Major Gen Gascoigne - 1900 [5-6] — Page 544

C. ).

538

No

301.

23311

Rece

(

GEC 24 JUL 00:

Government house,

Mongkong, 214t

June, 1900.

ง

19823

Sir,

I have the honour to inform you that a copy of

: your despatch No.56 of the 28th.of February last together

with a statement of the conditions upon which the Military

Authorities are prepared to withdraw their objections to the

construction of a road from Kennedy Town to Aberdeen, having

been communicated to the Jubilee Committee, that body inti-

:mated that they saw no reason why the conditions imposed in

deference to military considerations should not be complied

with.

2. The Committee further urged that steps should

be taken to push on the work with all speed, and asked that

if the Public Works Department was not in a position to

undertake the work they might be authorised to make their

. own arrangements with a firm of local Engineers.

3.

As the Director of Public Works has no officer

whom he can spare for this special work at the present time,

I caused the Committee to be informed that Government accep-

ted their suggestion that they should employ Engineers in

private practice for the purpose, on condition that the plans, specifications and tender for the road be first approved by

the Director of Public Works; and that the work of construc-

tion be placed under the general supervision of that officer.

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, M.P.,

4.

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