CO129-394 - Governor Sir May & Public Offices - 1912 [12] — Page 211

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sir.

GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

HONGKONG. 31st. December, 1912.

10/51109/2

Referring to my Despatch No. 313 of 30th..

August, 1912, forwarding Financial Minute No. 34, I have the honour to transmit the enclosed statement by the Contractors for the Post Office giving details of their claim in respect of delay in completion of the building.

2.

The claim was carefully considered by the Director of Public Works and Law Officers who advised that the sum

of $23,600 should be offered in full settlement. To this proposal Messrs. Sang Lee and Company agreed on condition that the amount was paid to them within a week..

3.

I take this opportunity to transmit the Roport of the Committee appointed to enquire into the expenditure and delay in construction of the building together with an explanatory statement by the Director of Public Works of the increase in cost, which was in the hands of the Committee at the time of their report, but to which they seem to me to have paid insufficient attention. I also enclose copy of the Director of Public Works' comments on the Committee's report. I intended that the comments of the Director of Public Works should be laid on the table of the Legislative Council at the same time as the Committee's report.. Owing to a misunderstanding the Director of Public Works' comments were not prepared in time and when they reached me it seemed too. late to publish them after revision. They were not written for publicetion

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

LEWIS HARCOURT, M.P.,

&C.,

&c..

&C...