CO129-461 - Governor Sir Stubbs - 1920 [5-7] — Page 466

You ftrar Ar. syche

Mr. Risley

May we have your obsons please ? The Gov.

does not say what the advice of his Law Officers is him to consider the matter in consultation with them.

-

I am afraid that this desp. is by no means conclusive

against the claim of the Petitioners, but perhaps the

by the S. of S. 200epted as pted/as

offer at the end may be accepted as sufficient ?

A.5.0.

9.9

we asked

I their that the least which should be regarded as sufficient is Compensation for all loss actually in encefeexcluding loss in Protect Juture profi 15).

Mr. Grindle

9/9/20

Tell the Gov. that the S. of S.

is advised that the Petitioners are in equity

entitled to compensation as in Mr. Bushe's

minute, and say that the amount of the

compensation should be referred to arbitration,

and ask him to inform Petitioners accordingly.

A.E.C.

10.9.20

ro.E.

20

N° 229

My Lord,

Ord, So

30491

C

43349

RESP RECI SEP 20

461.

HONGKONG.

GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

14th July, 1920.

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt

of Your Lordship's despatch No.376 of the 26th July, 1919, and to express my regret that it has remained so long unanswered.

2.

The general intention of the Government in introducing the Ferries Ordinance, 1917, was to grant a series of ferry monopolies for the purpose of securing for the travelling public better and safer services and cheaper fares. The ferries calling for the earliest treatment were the group of ferries plying between Victoria on the one side of the Harbour and Yaumati, Mong Kok Tsui and Sham Shui Po on the other. These ferries were then being operated by a syndicate which had acquired a virtual, though an unregulated unregulated monopoly. Any attempt at establishing a rival service was met by the usual methods of such syndicates, and any such competition led to racing across the busiest parts of the

Harbour. It was notorious that the service was not satis-

factory and such information as the Government had as to the

profits of the syndicate led to the conclusion that the

fares were too high. This view is confirmed by the non- fulfilment of the petitioners' prophecies of the failure of

the present licensee. A good and cheap service to Mong Kok

Tsui and Sham Shui Po would further the development of those

HE RIGHT HONOURABLE

VISCOUNT MILNER, G.C.B.,

&c..

&o.. &c.