CO129-485 - Governor Sir Stubbs - 1924 [8-12] — Page 412

1

It will be

the Governor refers.

necessary to take a decision

quickly if we are to let Stubbs

know in time to get the consent

of his Unofficials before the

announcement of the Cabinet

decision is made.

Note on Kowloon Ferry Reclamation Scheme.

393

The scheme to which theGovernor refere consists

in the reclamation of an area of sea bed fronting Admiralty property at Kowloon with a view to the construc= tion of a ferry pier for vehicular traffic. Considerable Importance is attached locally to the scheme in view of its bearing on the housing problem which is one of the Colony's greatest difficulties. The Admiralty take the view that the proposed scheme would deprive the Navy of existing water frontage and would prevent any possible extension seawards of the Kowloon Depot. While existing obligations preolude any extension at present it is impossible to forecast the necessities of the future. They say that they are entitled to water access to their

land and they allege that the price paid for the freeh of the land was based on its water frontage value. They hold that the Hong Kong Government cannot carry out the reclamation without first obtaining Admiralty consent, which the Lords Commissioners are not prepared in the circumstances to give.

The objections of the Admiralty have been

communicated to the Colonial Government and there the

matter atanda at present.