CO129-540-7 Dredging of Hong Kong Harbour 26-4-1932 - 1-10-1932 — Page 14

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dredge their area to depths of from 26 to 32

feet, and therefore, if the Hong Kong Government

dredged the blue area to 32 feet, that would

meet Admiralty requirements. It seems clear

from No.1 on the file that the Hong Kong Govern-

ment think that dredging the area hatched blue

to 32 feet might be adequate, e.g., in paragraph

4: "There is no doubt that the area coloured

blue on the plan is generally of inadequate

depth, but I am not sure that the same can be

said of the area coloured red and hatched blue";

and in paragraph 8: "No figure is available

for dredging the blue area to 32 feet only. It

is therefore at present impossible to say

whether, in the event of dredging being limited

to this, it should be paid for out of current

revenue or loan.

From the start of the enquiry, Sir

H. Mackinder's view of the question was whether

the whole area should be dredged to 34 or 36

feet, and the question is so stated in paragraph

1 of (26). Sir H. Mackinder's suggestion in

(27) that part of the cost should be recovered

from the Godown Company is almost certainly

impracticable. The Company will dredge the

area in the immediate vicinity of its piers,

but it will almost certainly object in principle

to paying anything for the area beyond them, on

the ground that adequate dredging of the harbour

beyond the vicinity of private piers is an admitted Government liability (see paragraph 3

of No.1). Drafts herewith for cons'on.

JA. Calder

พ.

19.10.32

19/10/12

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