CO129-523-1 Reclamation work at North Point- a general plan of port of Hong Kong showing extent... 27-12-1929 - 12-6-1930 — Page 40

2

39

the "blue" area and to construct the vertical sea wall, but

objecting to the lay-out. I cannot help thinking that his

objection was reasonable and that the lay-out proposal was

unfortunate.

It would have made his refinery scheme impossible

Apparently

and it would have greatly reduced his building area.

a new lay-out was substituted in the Director of Public Works

letter of 410.23 though I have not seen the plan, and apparent ly

the Director of Public Works abandoned the lay-out altogether in

his letter of 17.10.23. A considerable amount of discussion took

place on the various subsidiary terms of the Director of Public

Works offer of 11.5.23, and no complete and definite agreement

seems ever to have been committed to writing, even in the form of

letters, but I think that it would be inferred that an agreement

was reached. Mr. Kwik seems to have substantially agreed to the

main points, including the vertical sea wall, at a meeting with the

Acting Colonial Secretary (Mr. Fletcher) in October, 1923. The

chief new terms was the agreement of the Government to lend Mr.Kwik

$600,000. With regard to the question as to whether an actual

agreement was reached it will be noted that lir. Davidson, in his

private letter of the 16th August, 1927, to Mr. Hallifax, assumes

that it was. In any case Mr. Kwik thereupon proceeded to let a

contract for the vertical sea wall.

Page 40Page 41