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HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
development, to meet the urgent needs of a rapidly increasing population.
Fortunately, a very simple, reasonable, and effective remedy lies to hand, namely, the reference of the above two points to some high legal authority on Compensa- tion Law, and, in this connection,_we would venture to suggest that Lord Par- moor would be a most suitable arbitrator, if he would kindly consent to act.
Two more points remain to be dealt
with:-
(1) It is most serious from the Colony's point of view that the Military is to reserve considerable areas which have the effect of cutting off one part of the Mili- tary lands which it is suggested that we should resume from the other part, thereby rendering those lands much more difficult to develop on the best and most paying lines, e.g., by driving roads parallel to the Queen's Road. The reserved areas in question are the Detention Barracks (the Western part of which is badly required for the much-needed widening of Garden Road) and the Headquarter House and grounds, and the married quarters, etc., to the south of such grounds, These re- served areas were valued by Sir John Oakley at a little over $3,000,000.
As regards the Detention Barracks, we understand that whilst they are tempor- arily being retained as a possible site for Headquarter Offices, the Military Authori ties have expressed their willingness that such Offices should be built on some other part, near Headquarter House, of the Military Lands which are not included in Sir John Oakley's award.
(2) Next there is a point which we should like to have cleared up, in con- nection with recital (i) in Sir John Oak ley's award which states that "if during the period of ten years from the date of the award, and before completion of the transfer, unforeseen circumstances shall in the opinion of the Army Council ren- der it desirable or expedient to withdraw any one or more complete block or lot or blocks or lots, then and in such event only the Army Council shall be free and at liberty to withdraw such one or more complete block or lot or blocks or lots." We should like some assurance that the above recital is only intended to cover unforeseen circumstances rendering it necessary, ag a matter of military urgency
for the defence of this Colony, that that clause should be brought into force.
sheer force of circumstances (ie., by this In conclusion, whilst we are driven by Colony's urgent need, owing to the great increase of population and the consequent necessity for more room for residential and commercial expansion, for the re- moval of the Military Forces from the most central positions in the heart of the sula) to assent to the acceptance of Sir City of Victoria and the Kowloon Penin-
John Oakley's award, we do so under protest because we feel that the first two points, suggested by us, ought to be referred to arbitration.
We would add that there appears to be in any way, either delay the carrying out no reason why such a reference should,
lands or the selection of some site other of any of the agreed transfers of military
than the Detention Barracks for the erec- tion of Headquarter Offices.
HON. MR. P. H. HOLYOAK-Sir, I rise to endorse the views expressed by my col- league, the hon. Senior Official Member. They represent, as he stated, the carefully considered views of the Unofficial Mem- bers who have repeatedly met to consider Sir John Oakley's Award. In endorsing animous opinion, as it is also, we believe, them I am glad to say that it is our un- the unanimous opinion of the Colony, that the valuation figures of the Award are unwarrantably high, very much higher than the Colony should be called upon to pay. At the same time, and with due regard to what my hon. colleague has just stated, we do not wish this Award to be unduly delayed. I should add that, as the representative of the General Chamber of Commerce, this matter has been considered by them on two occa- sions, and they are also of the view that the opportunity should be taken to settle this matter once and for all, as soon as possible,
HON. MR. KOTEWALL-The Hon. Mr. Chow Shou Son, before he left for Eng- land, and myself consulted the General Committee of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce on this subject. The Cham- ber is one of the most representative Chinese bodies in the Colony, and the Committee agreed with us that in view of the imperative and urgent needs of the
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
Colony, the Award should be accepted but they urged that strong representa- tions should be made with regard to the several points dealt with by the Hon. Senior Unofficial Member, with a view to obtaining some alleviation, not so much as a legal right, but on grounds of that ordinary fairness and equity which the Chinese community expect from the Home Government. The remarks of the Hon. Mr. Pollock have therefore the endorse ment of the two Chambers of Commerce as well as the Unofficial Members of this Council.
We cannot
HON. MR. A. R. LOWE-Sir, I rise to support the Resolution. In the city of Manchester-in which I was born- there is a saying that "if tha wants out for nowt, do it for the sel." get these lands back for nothing, for the War Office is legally in possession, but, in spite of the heavy price we are asked to pay, I think the Colony, in time to come, will get its money back with good in- terest. It is no great hardship now for us to part with money which the Official majority bas insisted on hoarding up- perhaps luckily for our children, but un- luckily for us. Anyway, we have the money ready in London, and I am glad to think it can be spent in Hongkong to advantage-for, as the Yorkshire people кау,
Money is just like muck, no good till spread,
In my opinion we need the Army and Navy here for the safety and convenience of Britishers and Chinese alike, and they must be made comfort- able--even if the reprovisioning is on a better and larger scale than their old quarters call for. I am in agreement with the remarks of the Senior Unofficial Member in his endeavour to obtain a reduction in the price, but as we agreed to allow Sir John Oakley to value the lands, I agree, for celerity's sake, to the terms, and if there is any truth in "what's lost by honesty is won back by stratagem," I hope the Honourable Mem- ber will live to win.
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H.E. THE GOVERNOR-I should like to express my concurrence in practically everything said by the Hon. Mr. Pollock, but I am afraid we must look at the question from a rather different angle. I do not pretend to believe otherwise than that the War Office are driving a hard bar- gain with us, and, of course, I will trans- mit to the Secretary of State, for his
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consideration, the views which have been put forward by hon. members in regard to the possibility of a reduction on legal and equitable grounds of the figures at which Sir John Oakley has arrived. At the same time, I am bound to say that I do not think much is to be gained by that course. The fact of the matter is that the War Office are and have been, for many years, in possession
acquired possibly in somewhat devious ways in some respects-of land which we must have. We cannot evict them by force, and the question aries: How much is it worth our while to pay in order to relieve ourselves of the incubus which is blocking the prosperity of the Colony?
The price which Sir John Oakley puts on the removal of the incubus is, in my opinion, an excep- tionally high one, but on the other hand you must remember that Sir John Oakley was an entirely independent person, who stands admittedly at the head of his profession,
But
and I think it would be unwise of me to state with too much vehemence that his figures are wrong. On the whole he is more likely to be right than I am. assuming that his figures are too high, assum- ing, not to put too fine a point on it, that we whether it is worth our while to pay black- are being blackmailed, we must consider mail in order to get the military out of the central sites of the Colony. I submit that it is.
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I think there has been some slight mis- understanding with regard to the actual money involved, because hon. members have spoken as though we were going to hand over at once these large sums to the Military. That is not the case.
What we have undertaken to do is to reprovision the Military; that is to say to find them suitable accommodation in exchange for the quarters we are taking away from them, and I think hon. members will agree that stand- ards of comfort having gone up considerably since these quarters were built it is perfectly reasonable to expect that we shall provide accommodation in some respects at least superior to the old. I do not think hon. members will grudge any expenditure in that respect.
The Hon. Mr. Pollock said that it was inconceivable that the reprovisioning should exceed $10,000,000. I have not sufficient data before me to discuss the question, but assuming that the cost of reprovisioning does not exceed 10 million dollars and that the cost of the military lands according to Sir John Oakley's esti- mate amounts to nearly double that sum,
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