CO129-370 - Governor Sir Lugard & Public Offices - 1910 [12] — Page 32

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Chatham), and the Chief Resident Engineer (Mr. E. S.

Lindsey) and it was agreed that there was no objection to

letting the ground referred to by the Chief Resident

Engineer provided the lease was limited to ten years. Sir

Henry May thereupon decided to offer the area referred to

on a 10 years' lease at a rental of $50,000, Government to

construct the necessary jetties the Company paying 7 per

centum on capital cost or if built by the Company the

Government to pledge itself to take them over on expiry

of lease. He directed that sites 2 and 3 should at the same

time be offered as permanent sites (viz., on 75 years*.

leases renewable for 75 years). Mr. Lindsey accordingly

made the offer verbally as regards the railway land, but

Mr. Chatham to whom the Company was referred in the matter

of permanent sites has not yet entered into any negotia-

-tions. The Company has as yet made no reply beyond

requesting that the offer made should be put in writing. I

have caused a reply to be sent to the effect that having

recently returned to the Colony I desire a little time to

consider these proposals.

4.

Although (as Sir Henry May points

out in a minute to me) "it has not been the policy of this

Government to restrict in any way the ownership of land for

commercial