CO129-514-1 Development of Kai Tak Aerodrome 6-12-1928 - 7-1-1930 — Page 89

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requirement arose from the possibility that an air unit

might be temporarily located in the vicinity in connection

with the trouble in China.

The Council understand that this suggestion was

placed before the Governor and that he replied to your

Department adumbrating possible developments in civil aviation

and recommending that the site should be acquired by the

Colony at a cost of approximately £175,000 to be financed by

means of a loan.

In the meantime events in China had demonstrated the

urgent necessity of rendering the site available for the

Operation of aircraft and on the 3rd February 1927 (Air

Ministry letter S.23467/3.6) the Council suggested that as

completion to the size which might eventually be required would

probably take a considerable time, the site which had already

been in use by Fleet aircraft should be enlarged by gradual

stages, the first stage being put in hand immediately at a cost

of £4,000 and the cost of subsequent stages to be subject to

further consideration.

19m

CA/27

This proposal was submitted by your Department to

Committee of Imperial Defence (C.I.D. Paper 294-C) and the

following conclusions were reached: -

(a)

(b)

that the immediate acquisition of the Kai Tak site for an aerodrome was most desirable for reasons of Imperial Defence;

that the question of providing the necessary funds was one for the Treasury and other Government Departments concerned to deal with.

to the proportion of the cost

£200,000

·

The Council thereupon invited Mr. Amery's views as

then estimated at approximately

which should be borne by Hong Kong revenues, reminding

him of the generally accepted principle that land required

for defence purposes is regarded as a liability of Colonial

Governments.

Estimates of cost and a proposed division of expendi-

ture received from the Hong Kong Government were discussed