CO129-305 - Governor Sir Blake - 1901 [5-7] — Page 71

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Military Reserve over land mentioned in an enclosure in

his latter.

C

I strongly deprecate the creation

of any further Military Reserves and consider that the

distinction between War Department Land and Military

Reserve should not be recognised in the future. The

creation of a Military Reserve may involve the withdrawal

of large tracts of suitable building land from the

market, and the onerous nature of the ligo sxercised

in the past by the Military Authorities over land 'claim-

ed as Military Reserve in the Kowloon Peninsula has rem

tarded the development of that portion of the Colony to an extent that I do not wish to see repeated in any other

portion of the Colony.

+

Quite recently I had before me an

application from the General Officer Commanding to reserve for the War Department an area in the neighbourhood of Belchers Bay of about 1,560,000 square feet. I consulted my Executive Council respecting this application and was advised that a reply should be sent stating that what- ever land was required, whether for immediate building purposes or as a Military Reserve, must be paid for.

10.

I was guided by this expression or opinion which is an index of the views upon this question of the leading Officers of my Goverment and of two of the most influential Members of the unofficial Community. Whilst it is a matter of indifference

11.

what