CO129-490 - Public Offices - 1925 — Page 266

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would have expected at least a reasoned justification

for, instead of a bare announcement of, the Govern-

ment's decision to proceed with the project.

All the more so since the Government have

elaborated the Consulting Engineers scheme for Hung Hom Bay in order to provide protected wharves where the larger vessels could remain, discharging

and loading, even during a typhoon. If the backwash

which the Consulting Engineers feared would be

caused by a wall at North Point, would be a serious matter for their Hung Hom Bay scheme, one would have thought that it would have an even more serious effect on a scheme designed to provide protected water.

The advice of the Consulting Engineers

seems however to have been brushed aside in rather a cavalier manner. So far as I can ascertain from the

papers, the only passages in which any attempt to justify this are (a) penultimate paragraph on page 7 of Mr. Duncan's report, in which it is stated that the North Point scheme was referred to the Consulting Engineers who "whilst offering objections to reclama-

tion of the foreshore in question, they admit that such a scheme.... is practicable but consider it

would be best to leave the foreshore as it is at present (This seems a very serious understatement of the case); and (b) paragraph 3 of No. 4 on File 19473

En.

where the Governor states:- "The Agreement

originally made with this Syndicate provided for the construction of an ordinary sea wall based on a rubble mound, in no great depth of water, with piers projecting from it. Shortly afterwards, in conse- quence of the growing demand for berthing space in the harbour, it was decided that a vertical deep sea wall should be constructed at North Point, and after

much bargaining Mr. Kwik Djoen-eng was persuaded to

include this area within the new scheme."

The best course would seem to be to

thrash the whole matter out with Sir E. Stubbs and

the Crown Agents when the Governor comes home next

month, and in the meantime to make sure that the

Colonial Government does not commit itself to any

further schemes which may prejudicially affect

other and more important projects of development;

in particular it seems very desirable to prevent

the Government committing itself to an eastward

extension of the North Point scheme, pending the

suggested discussion. It is not likely that in

present circumstances in the Colony any such

commitmente are likely to be incurred, but it may

be well to make quite sure by telegraphing.

At the same time, it is important that

the Government should have without further delay the Consulting Engineers' advice (43293) on the work

already started at North Point.

The only other point which seems to require

comment at this stage is the method by which develop-

ment is to be carried out, (vide paragraph 7 of

36781). It will be seen that the Governor favoure

development by private interests under the supervi-

sion of Government, and the Crown Agents (paragraph 5

of 41233) see no objection.

This question was discussed by the Con-

sulting Engineers at some length in paragraphs 23-26

of their 1922 Report (C.A.59046/22). The Consulting

Engineers considered that the most satisfactory

course would be for the Government themselves to

construct wharves and leave them to private

Companies. The objections which they pointed out

much

to