CO129-449 - Governor Sir May & Acting Governor Claud Severn - 1918 [7-9] — Page 306

R

+ CONFIDENTIAL.

nelosures

20 OCT

205

GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

HONGKONG. 24th, August, 1918.

sir.

I have the honour to trait for your consideration the enclosed copy of two minutes by the Director of Public Works with copies of the plans referred to therein on the subject of the desirability of acquiring Kowloon Marine Lot 83 and Kowloon Inland Lot 1178 situated in Hunghom Bay.

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I agree with Mr. Chatham that the posse80- -ion of these lots one of which is a Marine Lot by a private individual or Company would harper the Government in any scheme of development of the vitally important Railway property adjoining the lots. There is the additional objection that Messrs. Mitsui Bussan Kaisha, a Japanese concern,hold a mortgage on the property.

2.

The Executive Council whom I have consult-

-ed in the matter advise that the lots should be resumed for

a public purpose, and I therefore authorised Mr. Chatham to

approach the owner of the lots in the matter in order to ob-

-tain a fim offer to submit to you. It appears that a fourth share in the property was held by another person and he was

not willing to sell under $2.50 per aquare foot, at which

price Mr. Macdonald being unable to come to other terms has

bought

HE RIGHT HONOURABLE

WALTER LONG, M.P.,

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