CO129-462 - Governor Sir Stubbs - 1920 [7-10] — Page 35

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decision on the various proposals for buildings that were

before it. The Company thereupon purchased a fully occupied

private hotel, which they are demolishing in order to erect

the flats on the site.

5.

There are other cases of a similar nature.

Mr. Severn, in his confidential despatch of the 26th June,

1919, asked permission to erect Government quarters in an unused part of King's Park, and a sum of $100,000 has been

voted for building the houses this year. The land was formerly military reserve land, and under the terms of the

agreement regarding King's Park the consent of the Military

Authorities has to be obtained before the land can be used

for purposes other than those of a Park. The building scheme

is accordingly shelved while the matter is considered by the Army Council.

6.

I need not refer in detail to the lengthy

negotiations, extending over many years, for the recovery of

disused military sites, such as Murray Battery or North Point

Battery. It will hardly be denied that large areas of

military land are not at the present time required for mili- tary purposes; but the land is apparently retained because at

some future date it might conceivably be suitable for some

military use. I submit that this is not fair to a Colony

where land is in so much demand as it is in Hongkong,

especially in a case such as that of Pinewood Battery where

the fortification is abandoned and the need for any Reserve

no longer exists. I, therefore, venture to repeat and to

emphasise the request contained in my despatch of the 23rd

March that some senior representative of the War Office may

be authorised to settle matters with me on the spot at the

earliest possible date.

7.

If the Army Council are ready to show a

reasonable spirit in these matters I think it is quite

possible