CO129-502-4 Acquisition of Kai Tak for an aerodrome- provision of funds 11-1-1927 - 12-5-1927 — Page 9

9

Itoume to me that the C.t. y the Shipping Com.

mittel

are in

apument in thinking What the Gour Pt. when he say AN P.N- Purn My

B.N. mates Pastity

yout onor: but

as

ther is this

in their

all means

elber it up.

M.

(14)

(21)

1

The Governor's telegram of 5th March

proposed various dredging operations designed to secure 2,000,000 cubic yards of filling for the

Kaitak aerodrome in 1 instead of 3 years.

The Secretary of State's telegram of 9th April

authorised a preliminary contract for 1,030,000

cubic yards. All the filling that can be

obtained or utilized during the next 6 to 9

months is therefore already contracted for; the

Colony has secured an aerodrome area sufficient

for urgent defence purposes; and the acquisition of the site from the Company by the Colony is so

far involved in what has been sanctioned already

as to be practically secured.

It remains to utilize this breathing space

of 6 to 9 months to clear up certain points

connected with the proposed dredging of the

second 1,000,000 cubic yards (i.e. the work in

No.4 of the Governor's telegram of 5th March

which are at present obscure).

In the first place it is not at all

certain what the Governor proposes to do. There

is an ambiguity in his telegram which was interpreted one way by the Consulting Engineers

and another by Sir Halford Mackinder and the

Shipping Committee. We must clearly ascertain by telegraph whether (as is probable) the Consulting Engineers were right in their

interpretation.

In the next place we must have a properly

considered expert opinion on this work before

we