}
Josure
December,
1902
519
3.
•
From the precis of the negotiations which
I enclose, it appears that there was a delay from the 14th.
February, 1899, to the 31st.March, 1900, before the War Office
made any statement as to the conditions on which the land in
Military Reserve might be sold and when on the 31st. March,
1900, General Sir W. J. Gascoigne was in a position to state
the special conditions arranged between the War Office and
the Admiralty they proved to be so onerous that a further
period of 26 months was spent in modifying to suit the views
of the Dock Company the terms on which the War Office would
agree to transfer to the Colonial Government land no longer
required for defence purposes.
4.
On the 25th. May, 1902, the conditions of
sale of the land applied for on the 14th. February, 1899, were
at last determined. From the 25th. May, 1902, to the 15th. of
last November was spent in adjusting conditions to cover the
additional area in front of Kowloon East Battery applied for
on the 5th. September, 1899; and when at last the conditions
had been agreed upon, it appeared that circumstances had so
far altered since the application was originally made by the
Dock Company that the large majority of shareholders opposed
any dock extension, in view of the fact that Messrs. Butter-
field and Swire and the Naval Authorities were each engaged
in the construction of Docks capable of docking the largest
ships, and that exchange which stood at 1 s. 112a.
d. the Dol-
어둠..
lar on the 14th. February, 1899, had fallen to 1 s. 674. on
the 8th. December, 1902.
5.
It remains for me to draw your attention
to
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.