and lighters and for small steamers, Thero will be little future risk of silting up when the shore line is carried up into deep water and into the nunin line of the currents. The front blocks, 225 feet in depth, will give am- ple room for godowns of the latest and best patterns. The back blocks and the ground now occupied by godowns will afford room for a large number of Chinese houses on the most approved sanitary principles, for which there must be, with our rapidly in- creasing population, an ever increasing de- mand. The improvements now being effected in the Queen's Road, from the Parade Ground to the Arsenal, and tho advent of the Trum, now assured, will faci- litate the movement of population from West to East, and the character of the new district with its broad thoroughfares, wide streets and sanitary buildings must at- tract a large population. The Wanchai property owners will have, sooner later, to reconstruct their properties and the present is the most suitable time for doing so, and the proposals wow submitted allow of its being done, if you will only combine together, at the least possible expense and on a scale which will most assuredly make the undertaking a profitable one to the undertakers as well as a blessing to the Colony generally. We have before us, to guide us in coming to a decision, the results of the Praya Reclamation in the Central District and we shall have, in carrying out the work, the benefit of the experience there obtained so as to the précautions to be observed and the errors to be avoided. The Eastern reclamation will be a much easier task than the work done in the Central District because of the much less depth of water in which the sea-wall has to be constructed; because a wall of much less section and constructed of smaller blocks will suffice in the sheltered position of the Wanchai Praya, and, by reason of the fact that the requ site earth and stone for the work is mitch nearer at hand and can be brought to the spot by land carriage instead of by buat, a good deal of stone from the pre- seot sea-wall being also available. The total cost will also he very much less-75 cents to $1 as compared with $2. On the other hand, the value of the land reclaimed cannot well exceed, animproved, $4 a square foot, while the unimproved value of the present reclamation was fairly estimat. ed at $7 per square foot and now consider- ably exceeds that figure. You have also to bear in mind that, as pointed out in my letter to the Colonial Secretary of the 29th September last, your present property, during the reelamation works, will pro- bably not maintain its value as effectively as did the property of the Lot Holdera along the Central praya, but any loss and in- convenience arising in that way will bo diminished, as far as possible, by the carry- ing out of the works in sections as was done in the reclamation now so nearly com pleted.
I strongly recommend you to take up the work It will involve, of course, a heavy expenditure of money, but that expendi- ture of money will be spread over a period of 10 years at the least. Five years for the actual work of reclamation; five years more for the work of building and recon- struction. It may involve a small loss of present income while the work is going on, but I feel assured that the loss of time and of goney and the expenditure will be amp. ly repaid you by the results and that, not merely will the Colony benefit on the whole by the creation of a large additional district, but you will I feel confident profit not merely by the acquisition of the new ground,
10 )
but by the ultimate improvement in values of your present property.
I propose to ask you now to signify your approval or disapproval of the scheme as n whole and your acceptance, broadly, of the Government conditions. Your assent given here will not bind you definitely to all the details, some of which have still to be work- ed out. The whole matter has yet to be submitted for the consideration of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, An Ordinance will have to be passed. Agree- ments will have to be prepared and signed, and, probably, some of the conditions altered or modified.
I am here to answer any questions you may ask so far as I am able, and to give any explanations. I am here to listen to any suggestions for the unprovement or altera- tion of the schemes you may have to sug- gested. It is my duty also and it will give me much pleasure to convey to His Excer lency the Governor any proposals you may have to make, and support them to the best of my ability. The Government have accepted me as the medium of communica- tion between itself and you, and I place myself entirely at your disposal for that purpose. My sole object is the welfare of the Colour generally with which mine is intimately bound up.
If any gentleman has any questions to ask or resolutions to proposo I shall be glad if he will do it now.
Hon. J. J. Keswick said Mr Chairman and gentlemen, I am sure that we have all listened with great interest to the exceed- ingly lucid and able statement made by Mr Chater on the subject of this reclamation which, I believe, will prove a scheme that will benefit very greatly all the marine lot holders. I am sure that Mr Chater in his statement has not said one word too much in regard to the great benefit that will accrue to Hongkong by having that scheme carried out, and I for one have great con- fidence that it ultimately will be carried out, if at the ontset some difficulties are met with. I can see that Mr Chater has taken an enormous amount of pains in order to prepare for us the statement ho has just made, and I would beg to propose the resolution-That the pro- posals for the Wanchai Reclamation, embodied in the correspondence be tween Mr Chater and
the Govern-
ment, and published in the local papers, be accepted in principle, and that Mr Cha- ter is hereby authorised to forward this resolution to the Colonial Secretary of State.'
Mr A. J. Raymond seconded. Carried.
vernment
Mr D. M. Moses proposed the second resolution to the effect that the owners of lots fronting the sea authorise the Go- to proceed forthwith with preliminary surveys and plans, and that they undertake to contribute, in proportion to their marine frontages, to the expeuses incurred by Government in so doing.
the
Mr Maitland seconded. Carried.
Mr Chater-Gentlemen, that is all the business before as to-day. I shall lose no time in forwarding those resolutions to the Government and ask them to proceed with the work forthwith. I am sure it will take about three months to get an answer Meanwhile, from the Secretary of State.
s survey of the sea-bed will be made, and plans drawn out, allotting to each one what he is entitled to in proportion to his present frontage. I thank you very much for your attendance.
FURTHER CORRESPONDENCE.
The following further correspondence passed between Mr. Chater and the
Government :----
MB CRATER TO THE ACTING COLONIAL
SECRETARY.
Hongkong, 20th April, 1901. SIR, 1. Referring to previous correspon- dence on the subject of the proposals for the reclamation of the foreshore at Wan- chai, I have now the honor to hand you for submission to His Excellency the Governor a report of the proceedings at a meeting of the Marine Lot Holders in the Wanchai District, held to consider the question. I also transmit copies of Resolutions passed at that meeting which was held in the City Hall on Wednesday last, the 17th instant.
2. There were present at the meeting, or, represented, all the Marine Lot Holders interested except two, and I have no reason to believe that any opposition need be ex- pected from either of these. Of the as- sent of one of them I am assured. At that meeting I fully explained to the persous prosent the details of the project and the Course of the negotiations with the Govern- meat, and was prepared to answer any questions or consider any suggestions that might be put forward. There were, how. ever, none. My address to the Meeting is fully and accurately reported, as are all the proceedings. The Resolutions were passed by a unanimous vote, and I was duly au- thorised to forward them to you.
3. I have now, therefore, to request that you will move His Excellency the Governor to transmit the whole of the plans, corres- pondence, papers connected with the pro- posed Reclamation to the Right Honorable the Secretary of State for the Colonies at as early a date as possible, with His Ex- collenny's report and recommendations thereon,
I feel sure that after the very full and careful consideration given to this matter by Sir Fleury Blake, he will feel himself in a position to urge strongly on the Secretary of State the inerits of the scheme and the advisability of proceeding with it without delay, and that, with the support afforded by His Excellency, there can be no doubt of the approval of the Home Government.
4. Before the correspondence is trans- mitted to the Secretary of State, may I, however, be permitted to call attention to one trifling inaccuracy in your letter to me of the 12th February last. In the 4th paragraph of that letter you say that His Excellency is of opinion that the premiun to be paid the Government for every foot of reclaimed land should be at least 25 cents per square foot' The phrasing is a little ambiguous, and might be open hereafter to dispute or question. May I suggest that the words at least' should be eliminated. My understanding with His Excellency was that the premium should be 25 cents a square foot. Your letter leaves it open ap- parently to the Gov. rnment to claim here- after a higher rate of premium, and that is
a point that cannot well be left open or in doubt. The Marine Lot Holders will re- quire, before entering into any definite Agreement, to have the premium fixed.
5. Will you further kindly move His Excellency to give directions that the re- quisite Surveys. Reports, Plans and Esti- mates he proceeded with forthwith. The Marine Lot Holders have bound themselves to bear and pay all the expenses thereof, and it will immensely facilitate the pro- gress of the work if all the necessary in- formation can be obtained and thrown into shape during the three months that must clapse before the Secretary of State's decision can be known in the Colony.
If the Public Works Department aro too fully occupied give prompt attention to the work of preparing
to
survey, plans and estimates perhaps His Excellency would feel inclined to get the work done by some firma of Architects and Engineers practising in the Colony, but under the supervision, of course, of the Director of Public Works. I think there would be no difficulty in finding competent anen free to take up the work and proceed with it promptly.-I have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant,
(Signed) C. P. CHATER. Honorable T. Sercombe Smith, Acting
Colonial Secretary.
Resolved.
1. That the proposals for the Wanchai Reclamation embodied in the correspond- ence between Mr Chater and the Govern- meat pablished in the local pap es he accepted in principle and Mr Chater is hereby authorised to forward this resolu- tion to the Colonial Secretary.
2. That the holders of Luis fronting the sea authorise the Gavermout to proceed forthwith with the preliminary surveys and plans and undertake to contribute în pro- portion to their marine frontages to the expenses incurred by the Government in so doing.
THE ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY TO
ME CHATER,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 30th April, 1901 SIR,--With reference to paragraph 4 of your letter of the 20th April, 1901, sub- mirting a report of the proceedings at a Meeting of the Marine Lot Holders in the Wanchai District, held to consider your proposals for the reclamation of the fore- shore at Wanchai, I ara directed to inform you that this Government definitely adopts Twenty-five centa as the premium per square foot to be paid,--I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant,
T. SERCOMBE SMITH,
Acting Colonial Secretary. The Honourable C. P. Chater, C.M.G.
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