66
9.
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There seems to be some hesitation locally in
agreeing that a Vehicular Ferry would be paying proposition, at any rate in the early stages: but there seems to be no
doubt that a combined Passenger and Vehicular Service can be
run at a good profit. Perhaps the roundabouts will have to
carry the swings for a time: a point that again is in favour
of Government management of the whole enterprise, as no doubt a private Company would tend to starve that part of the
work that did not show an immediate financial return or
showed the poorer return: but I note that Messrs. Coode
Fitzmaurice Wilson and Mitchell say "We consider the cross traffic between Hong Kong and Kowloon is growing sufficiently to warrant the provision of a good vehicular and passenger
ferry service."
10.
But if it is considered undesirable for Government
to control the whole enterprise, there is still a middle
course which might combine the advantages of Government control and private management; that is the suggestion often considered that Government should build wharves and boats
and should let the running privileges by tender for short
periods say five years. It is true that the conditions
of the tender would not be too easy to draw up, and that expense would be incurred in the close supervision of the boats and of their upkeep that would be necessary: but nothing impossible or unpractical is revealed in the prospect, and any extra expense to Government is justified as I have suggested above by the reservation of opportunities for
altering conditions as for fares and running, in future
tenders.
11.
Failing complete Government control this is the suggestion for which I would ask further consideration. As
a separate enterprise the Ferry Scheme in itself provides full justification for a loan to cover the cost of wharves
and boats: but it is possible to go further, and to say that
the
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