CO129-317 - Governor Sir Blake - 1903 [4-6] — Page 431

$

COPY.

in Enclosure 1),

Sir,

Enclosure 2.

426

Colonial Secretary's, Office,

Hongkong, 11th. May, 1908. 1972

RECO

her 20 JUL 03

In reply to your letter of the 2nd. instant,

I have now the honour to transmit to you my amended valuation of lands to be exchanged between the War Department and the Colonial Government, to which I have appended some notes.

This valuation shows a balance in favour of

the War Department of $16,799*, which I propose should be set against the value of the land which the War Department wishes to

acquire at Sywan.

2.

With regard to your remarks concerning Mount Cochrane I have to observe that I asked that this area might be

brought into the Exchanges in order to balance them as nearly as

possible, and because without this additional area which is very

necessary to the Colony for the further development of the Kowloon

Feninsula the Exchanges would be unduly favourable to the War

Department.

I cannot therefore agree to saddle this

exchange with such a proviso as you suggest, and 1 feel sure that

in the enormous areas that the War Department will acquire if the

Exchanges shown in the schedule hereto are carried out it would

not be difficult to find sites for Indian Married Quarters.

I have not valued that portion of the

3.

Military Reserve at Kowloon which the Colony proposes to devote

to the "King's Fark" as building land less its agricultural value

1

subject to certain rights of user by the War Department, belause Colonel L. B. Brown,

Commanding Royal Engineer.

Marked a

*Note: But see further letter of 13th.

June, 1903, copy attached.