CO129-432 - Governor Sir May - 1916 [3-5] — Page 690

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Sir,

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27697

REC

Ree! 12 JUN 16

GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

HONGKONG.

4th May, 1916.

I have the honour to inform you that owing to

the disturbed condition of the Kwongtung Province the Hongkong Conservancy Contractor has been obliged to abandon his con- -tract for the removal of nightsoil, and arrangements have had

to be made to dispose of the soil in the sea.

2.

It has been necessary from time to time to revise the monthly payment made by the Contractor to the Government owing to the loss of soil occasioned by the opening of public trough closets in the City of Victoria, and the payment as finally revised was $3,223 a month. Early in April, however, the depredations of soi-disant soldiers and robbers in the districts where the soil is sold to the growers of mulberry trees rendered it absolutely impossible to carry out the con- tract. Anarchy prevails at the depots at Way Lin in the Shun Tak district, and even if it were possible to transport the soil.

there would be no sale for it.

3.

I had, therefore, no option but to allow the contract to remain in abeyance for the time being and to take over the contractors boats. Agreements have been entered into with the head foreman of the Hongkong contractor to remove the

Boil

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

ANDREW BONAR LAW, M.P.,

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