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The Government entrusted me, in connection with the existing Reclama- tion, with the negotiation and arrange- ment with the landowners affected, and with all of the details of the scheme. I place myself again entirely
at the disposal of the Government to carry out all negotiations and arrange- ments with the Marine Lot holders and others in Wanchai whose assent may be required for the present scheme.
I suggest further for the Govern- ment, that all resumptions of land, and all compensatious to be paid landhold- ers in connection with the present scheme should be borne and paid by the Marine Lot holders as part of the expenses of the scheme, all land re- sumed heing sold for the benefit of the fund. Any little friction that has arisen in connection with the existing Reclamation will thereby be obviated with the present proposals,
I would only submit, in conclusion, for the consideration of the Govern- ment that, if the Public Works De- partment with the enormous tasks on its hands at the present moment-the existing Reclamation, the Water Sup- ply, the proposed New Public Buildings --is not in a position to undertake another Reclamation, that there will be no difficulty in having the work done by Engineers and Contractors employed directly by the Marine Lot holders, it being, of course, thoroughly understood that all plans must be submitted to and approved by the Director of Public Works and that the works would have to be carried out in accordance with such plans and to his complete satisfaction.----I have the honour to he, Sir, Your most obedient and humble Servant,
(Signed) C. P. CHATER.
The Ilonourable
THE ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY,
Hongkong.
THE GOVERNMENT TO MR. CHATER.
COLONIAL SEchetart's Office, HONGKONG, 13th September, 1900. Sts, I am directed to inform you that the Governor has had under con- sideration your letter of the 12th of June in which you propose a scheme for a large reclamation from the sex between Arsenal Street and East Point and for the utilisation of Morrison Hill nud Mount Shadwell in connection with the reclamation.
His Excellency is prepared to view favourably your suggestion that the re- clamation should be carried out on behalf of the Marine Lot holders by the Government, rather than that the Government should exercise its un- doubted right to make the reclamation on its own account.
But His Excellency is not prepared to concede the terms, unduly favourable to the Marine Lat holders, which are proposed in your letter.
The value of the land which will be comprised in this new Reclamation is and must be a matter of opinion, and
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since it cannot be determined now His Excellency is prepared to recommend to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, whose sanction must be obtained before any reclamation is made, the follow- ing principle for ensuring that the Government on behalf of the whole Colony obtains a fair share with the Marine Lot holders in the profits of the reclamation, namely that the expense of the reclamation be provided in the same way as was the expense of the Praya Reclamation, and that when the new reclamation is finished the land so reclaimed shall be valued, and the ex- pense of reclamation being deducted, the sum remaining divided equally between the Marine Lot holders and the Government as premium, the Crown rent to be the same as on the Western Prays, but neither premium nor Crown rent to be payable for the land required for streets and lanes.
If you accept this principle, which in the Governor's opinion is a reasonable and equitable one, His Excellency will take steps to give the details of your scheme early and careful consideration. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant,
(Signed) F. H. MAY,
Acting Colonial Secretary:
The Honourable
0. P. CHATER, C.M.G.
MR. CHATER TO THE GOVERNMENT.
HONGKONG, 29th September, 1900. SIR--I have the honour to acknow ledge the receipt of your letter No. 1 of the 13th instant (in reply to nine of the 12th June last) in which you inform me that His Excellency the Governor has had under consideration my proposals for a large reclamation from the sea between Arsenal Street and East Point; that he is prepared to view favorable my suggestion that the Reclamation in question should be car ried out on behalf of the Marine Lot Holders by the Government, but that His Excellency is not prepared to ac cede to the terms embodied in my let- ter, as he deems them unduly favorable to the Marine Lot Holders.
2. His Excellency's suggestion is, that the expenses of the Reclamation be provided for in the same way as was the expense of the Praya Reclamation now in progress; that, when the re- clamation is finished, the land so re- claimed be valued; that the expenses be deducted from such valuation and that the balance be equally divided be tween the Marine Lot Holders and the You further inform me Government.
that if I am prepared to accept this proposal as the basis of any arrangement to be come to His Excellency is prepar ed to take steps for a detailed exami- nation of the scheme.
3. I have given to His Excellency's proposals very full and very careful consideration. I have gone into the figures again, so far as it is possible to estimate them, and have obtained pro- fessional advice and assistance in werk- ing out results. I regret to say that after this fresh investigation, and after
a detailed examination and comparison of the two Reclamation Schemes-the Praya Reclamation now in progress and the present scheme-I am unable to accept His Excellency's suggestion as to the principle to be applied in working out the scheme, and I could not con- scientiously recommend it for the acceptance of the Marine Lot Holders in Wanchai, the position of the Marine Lot Holders and the nature of their property being so totally different along the Eastern and Western Prayas.
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4. I admit that, as events have turn- ed out, it would not have been unrea- sonable or inequitable if some such principle had been applied to the Praya Reclamation now
progress, the Marine Lot Holders and the occupants of premises there suffering little or no loss, either in the value of their holdings or in the profits of their business, during the progress of the Reclamation works, or in consequence thereof, and, therefore, benefiting to the full extent of the value of the reclaimed land or there- abouts; but the position in the Wanchai District is totally different, The Marine Lut Holders there must necessarily suffer enormously during the progress of the works and will be put to very great expense before they can make their properties pay again as Inland Lots. They will barely be repaid their losses and necessary expenditure by the value of the reclaimed land coming to them, while the Government, on behalf of the Colony, will, without running any tísk or incurring any expenditure, derive from the scheme the enormous profits set forth in my first letter -the Treasury will pocket, from hand sales alone, a lump sum of at least $087,050, and will derive an additional annual revenue of $150,571 From Crown Rents and Taxes, and the Colony, as a whole, will have added to it, free of expense, an immense ad- ditional area, laid out in streets and rends of ample width and with the very latest improvements.
5. If His Excellency will amend his proposal by including in the expense of the reclamation the amount of the fair and reasonable compensation (to he as- sessed under Ordinance 23 of 1889 or some similar Ordinance) payable to existing Lot Holders in the Wanchui District for loss of rents and business doving the progress of the works and for the diminished value of their lands When converted form Marine into Inland Lots, then, possibly, the principle of div- fsion of profits might be acceptable; but even then the profits to be derived by the Government from the carrying out of the Scheme, as put forward by me, would be immeasurably greater than those drived by the Lot Holders. The Government would get what would practically be a gift-something for nothing The Marine Lot Holders would get only a fair return on their investment.
6. The Central and Western Praya, at the commencement of the Reclama- tion of 1880, was, with one or two wholly unimportant exceptions, all
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The prin-
shops, stores and residences cipal part of the trade of the Colony was carried on along it, The whole consting trade of the Colony centred there.
The reclamations in their pro- gress, although causing considerable in. convenience, did not seriously interfere with business along the praya nor in its neighbourhood, and did not interfere with the values of the properties or with the rentals derived from them, The residents could not move elsewhere to carry on their business, so they ind, perforce, to remain where they were and make the best of it The Marine Lot Holders, therefore, außered no diminution of their rentals during the progress of the reclamation--the tenants bearing whatever losses or inconveni ences there were-and now that the reclamation is Enished and their formet Marine Lots have become inland lots, the lapse of time and the steady increase in the population and in the trade and shipping of the Colony has made thent as valuable for purposes of sale as the old Marine Lots ever were. They have, therefore, all the profits derivable from the value of the new made land.
7. In Wanchai the state of affairs is It never has been wholly different. and never will be an important business quarter. No Trading Junks anchor there. No Chinese Merchant OT Traders of any position reside and carry on their work there; only the poorer classes frequent that neigh bourbood. It is only within a con- paratively recent period that there has been any business there at all even for the godowns. The division of the City caused by the interposition of the Naval and Military establishments has pre- vented the Chinese from settling there, and the immense expansion now in progress of the Naval Yard seaward will only emphasize the separation. The whole length of the Wanchai praya is and always has been occupied almost entirely by godowns, and they are mainly used for the storage of coal and of the beavier and less expensive kinds of merchandise. The business of these godowns will be at once affected by the commencement of praya rech- nuation works. The goods stored in them enoot stand the additional ex peuse of carriage when their access to the sea is impeded. Now the godowns Then are 50 feet from the sea wall. tiny will be 550 feet. They will have all of them to be pulled down, and the spice they now occupy cover d with Chinese houses. At present rates (ami no prospect of any fall in prices), it will cost at the rate of $4 a foot to clear the present Marine Lots and cover them with Chinese inuses equal to present sanitary requirements. The Marine Lot Hoiders assenting to the proposed praya reclamation at Wanchai will lose the prots of their godown business for varying periods--- some of them for three years-and to enable them to utilize their lots will bave to expend on new buildings at the rate of 34 a square foot, If the Gu vernment andertook this reclamation
there is
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