tle Commission came out he would point out the advantages of these sites over the present one. Jha, he thought, could be very easily arranged. They could give the Admiralty bigger sites and better sites in every respect and still with all that was wanted with regard to the water frontage. Then probably His Excellency might ask, and a good many people might naturally ask: What about the expense that the Navy have gone into? They had thought of that. It he was rightly informed, he believed that the Navy so far had expended £250,000 to £300,000. The land which tle Navy BOW occupy and which they would like to ao aire from the War Office was worth a lot of money. He thought that some two years ago he gave the Governor an estimate of that land and he had no reason now to alter that estimate. If anything, he thought it was worth even more. If two of the sites that they proposed to offer to the Navy were accepted then the Colony would have to give these sites-they belonged mostly to the Government with perhaps one or two small resumptions-and they would get in turn what the Navy now occupy plue what is wanted from the Military. If they got that they could then sfford to compensate the Navy perhaps for the expense they had incurred, but this amount, some of £250,000 or £300,000, although expended was not lost, because suppose they took any one of these other sites and went on with the Dook scheme all the blocks and the timber for the cofferdam could be again used. The reclamation which had boon done would come in useful for them for the continuation of the Praya; and the road having been widened to 75 feet, that would also make the land there more valuable. There- fure as far as compensation was concerned there was no doubt in his mind that some arrangement could be arrived at; and what would be a most important thing to do would be, he thought, to push on the appointment of this Commission and not only that but to give them the additional scope of going into this question of the removal of the Dock to some other site. He had been reminded that probably His Excellency would recollect that actions had been taken by residents in Morrison Hill Road, close by there, against people for working iron workshops ou the Praya and Queen's Road, East, and he believed the Government had also given notice to these people that that nuisanc must be stopped. Well, if that was a nuisance, distant as it was from Queen's Road to Morri- son Hill, surely a Dock right in front of the Harbour and working at night, would be a terrible nuisance all the way up to the Peak almost. In fact he believed that where Chief Justice Goodman was living now when this unisance was going on the noise was heard right up there. That was the great point.
And not only that. The military were now building huge barracks, married quarters, hospital and so on, all along Kennedy Road, There it would be found to be a terrible anisance if the Dock was working at night.
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It would be almost unbearable. These were the facts they had before them-the facts that the Committee would no doubt embody in their petition. They had thought it right to inform His Excellency of what was being dono and to place these facts before him now. Perhaps His Excellency might help them in getting up the petition, might give them some information enabling them to embody it in their petition. (Applause.)
HIS EXCELLENCY asked if any other members of the deputation desired to make any remarks? Hon. R. SKEWAN remarked on the difficulties which were said to have arisen in the constrac- tion of the Naval Dock on its present site, and assured His Excelleney that all they were doing was to strengthen the hands of the Government, that they were not attempting to act against the Government in any way, and that they were all heartily in accord with the object they had in view. (Applause.)
18 EXCELLENCY said he was vory glad to receive that important deputation from the community ou the Dook. He might tell them at once that he was in absolute and entire sympathy with them in the views which they expressed (applanso), he had always been so; as the published letters would show he had already more than once addressed the Imperial Govern- ment on the question. But now when they came to the question of the Dock, of course, as far as the Navy are concerned, no matter what the question of nuisance may be, no matter what the incon- venience to the public may be, if it were necessary that that Dock should be built in that position he had no doubt that not caly the members of the Committee but every member of the community in Hongkong would be prepared to bear any inconvenience if it was absolutely necessary for the well-being, safety and the comfort of His Majesty's Navy. (Applause). As regarded the question of the differences at present between the Admiralty and the Military authorities, he did not know of ang such differences. There had, of course,
been consultations between them as to the possible division of land now held respectively by the Navy and Military authorities, and he thought he might say that, on broad lines, the Military and Naval anthorities had either arrived at a working agreement, or were very nearly approaching to that point. The first point for them to consider, an1 the point to put before His Majesty's Government was the question whether that Dock shall be removed from that posilon in toto. He bad personally vo doubt į that if it was possible to remove the Dock from it present position, it would be not alone of great importance to this Colony, but it would be equally important for the welfare of His Majesty's Navy in the future, because he was quite clear that the present extension Dockyard was pot, as projected at the aud would not be, sufficient for the
requirements of the Navy in the future if the idea remained as to the expansion of trade be verified and if the fact remained, as he
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