87
wide and ̋231⁄2 miles in length, costing in all $1,170,000. The work is, however, such that it can be done section by section as fast or as slowly as local requirements and the financial resources of the Colony may prescribe.
Only a Beginning.
At this stage, the Government proposes to do no more than con- struct the first section of the road from Kowloon City to the village of Ma-yau-tong in the gap over- looking the
on a
harbour between Customs Pass and Lyemun. This section is four miles in length and is estimated to cost $200,000. The object of this section of the road is to open up a hill district for the Kowloon peninsula similar to that on Hongkong island. There is no doubt that the rapid growth of Kowloon as a business centre makes it very important that the hills above the northern side of the harbour, where future commercial development large scale is to be expected, should be made available for re- sidential purposes.
So far from being premature, I venture to think that this scheme has been far too long delayed. The Taipo road does not open
up any hill district above Kowloon, because it passes through the waterworks' reserve, which is not available for residential purposes. The Castle Peak road runs for the most part over flat country and does not open up any hill district. There- fore, it still remains necessary to- day for any business-man in Kowloon peninsula, who likes to spend his nights in the cool of the hilltops, to reside at the Peak in Hongkong, whereas he could much more conveniently build his house on the attractive hill-range spreading between Customs Pass and Lyemun.
Shatin Area.
In connexion with this Saikung road, as it has been called, I may say that I should very much have liked to provide in next year's estimates for the construction of another section also, namely that which branches off from the Taipo road near the head of Tide Cove, and crosses to a small promontory at the site of the old Shatin police station. The new road at this point will be a causeway, similar to that with which members of this Council are well acquainted near Taipo; and it will reclaim a very large area of flat land, eminently suitable for recreation purposes. This area could be ap- proached, not only by Taipo road, but also by the rail- way, which already has a station at Shatin. It would, therefore, be easily and cheaply accessible to Kowloon residents, and it is here that large recreation grounds could be formed, including the golf links for which the Chinese com- munity is pressing. Nothing
the
would have pleased me better than estimates for this section of the to include a sum in next year's
work; but, unfortunately, funds are not now available, and all that the Government presses for at the moment is the construction of the section above Kowloon which will open up a hill district on the mainland, and for a sum of $5,000 to be voted by way of supplement this year for forming a permanent trace of the whole road, as pro- jected. It is most desirable, of course, that the trace should be permanently marked out, in order that the work already done by the engineers of the Public Works De- partment in connexion with this scheme may not be thrown away. Beyond this, however, the Govern- ment does not propose to go at the present time, and whether fur- ther sections can be built in future years will depend in part upon the recommendations of the Recrea- tion Grounds Committee, of which my honourable friend, the Colonial Secretary, is chairman, and on which many members of this Coun- cil have a seat, and also on the money which can be made avail- able by this Colony for Public Works Extraordinary. Before
ing and improvement of various roads on the mainland, as provid- ed for in next year's estimates. I may explain that the scheme for a 100-foot road from Arsenal Street to Shau-ki-wan mainstreet is one of considerable magnitude.'; The total length of the road will be 45% miles, of which 2% miles have already been completed. Two further sections, each 600 yards. long, between Causeway Bay and North Point, have been partly com- pleted for half their width, but' are not yet surfaced. There are also provided in next year's esti- mates sums of $100,000 for re- alignment of the roadway between Great George Street and Cause- way Bay, and of $15,000. being half of the expenditure on the 70 foot road opposite Marine Lots 430 and 431 in the road from: Causeway Bay to Quarry Bay. Both these works form part of the project for carrying a hundred foot road from the centre of Vic- toria city to Shau-ki-wan. More than this cannot, I fear, be done! next year, unless there should be such an increase in our estimated revenue as might justify me in proposing a supplementary vote for the purpose.
The University.
closing my remarks upon this sub- ject, I should like to express my concurrence in what has been said
Both as Governor of the Colony about this road by the honourable
and as Chancellor of the Hongkong Mr. Braga. I am very familiar University, I welcome the remarks with the whole 23 miles of the pro-
made by the honourable Mr. Shen- posed trace of this circular road, tcn on the subject of the Univer- and I have no hesitation in sayingsity. I fully agree with him that that it will be, when completed in years to come, the most beautiful road in this Colony-I would even say the most beautiful road with which I am acquainted in any part of the world.
our
more
the University serves a most use- ful purpose, not only as an educat-i ing factor, but in providing the Colony with useful citizens. I very much hope that both the Hongkong Government. and the Quarry Bay Road.
commercial concerns of this Co- The Unofficial Members of this: lony will avail themselves Council have urged upon my Gov- and more each year of the facili
ties which ernment the necessity for pressing
University pro- on with the construction of the vides, and that they will assign new 100-foot road between Cause-
an increasing number of posi- tions way Bay and Quarry Bay. It is
in their service to the settled policy of the Govern- University graduates. I further ment to complete this road, and I
agree that the Hongkong Govern- ment should within its means con- hope very much that it may be
tribute liberally to the support of possible in the budget for 1931
the University, for the success of to provide the full sum estimated to be necessary for that work, the success and prosperity of the the University is bound up with namely $355,000. There is, how-Colony. Every effort
has been ever, no advantage in doing this work piecemeal. Once begun, it should be finished off, and the full amount necessary should be made available. It is not possible to allocate so large a sum from Pub- lic Works Extraordinary for this single work next year, and I con- sider that the public interest will be better served by completing the Tai-hang road, the road connecting Garden Road, Bowen Road and May Road, the widening of May
Road from the tram station to Conduit Road, and the strengthen-
}
made and will continue to be made by this Government to secure an allocation of part of the Boxer In- demnity moneys as an endowment of the Hongkong University, and the Vice-Chancellor, Mr. Hornell, who is now on leave in England, is doing what he can to advance this į
cause.
The honourable the Senior Chinese Unofficial Member enquired why the grant in aid of the Uni- versity School of Chinese is re- duced from $46,000 to $40,000 in
next
year's estimates. The ex-
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