CO129-365 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1910 [1-3] — Page 362

OP Y.

Enclosure 1.

C

Hon. Colonial Secretary,

2493 356

Race 1 APR 10)

The Chinese part of the scheme, which is

evidently very secondary to the European part in the mind of the applicant, may be neglected. Many houses are standing vacant in Wanchai which can already be easily reached by tramway from the

centre of Victoria and beyond Wanchai there are building sites

along or close to the tramway more accessible than would be the neighbourhood of Aberdeen with the connection proposed in the scheme. If a low level connection is to be made to join Victoria

with flat land on the South of the Island it should certainly

not go via Pokfulam,

The European part of the scheme with 150 houses would cost at least £200,000. 5% interest on this would be £10,000 per annum and working expenses and maintenance of tramway and buildings would not be less than £5,000 per annum. £15,000 in all would have to be covered before any profits could be made. This would fall on at most 150 householders so that the houses would not be particularly cheap ones even if the scheme were fully successful. I am satisfied it would not be successful. It was thought that the Jubilee Road would open up part of the district to which the tunnel now proposed gives

access but it has not done so. If there had been any desire to live in this district I have no doubt a cable tramway from near the present Peak Tramway Station to below Pokfulam Reservoir would have been suggested before now. Such a tramway would not cost one-fifth of the proposed tunnel line and would practical-

ely answer the same purpose.

I believe that the present scheme, if it

would fail and that

were got beyond the floating of a company, its failure would militate against the success of other

projects of a more practical nature.

In these circumstances please write that

I have carefully considered the proposals contained in Messrs. Johnson Stokes and Master's letter of 12th. February, 1906, and

that