CO129-540-7 Dredging of Hong Kong Harbour 26-4-1932 - 1-10-1932 — Page 81

CONFIDENTI

980

Hong Kong (1932).

Document 0.4.

IMPERIAL SHIPPING COMMITTEE

•

Summary of Evidence

given by mr. C.G.3. hackie, of Messrs. Mackinnon, hackenzie and Company, Hong Kong, a member of the Hong Kong Harbour Advisory Council.

Note: Mr. Mackie has not yet corrected the transcript of

his evidence and this summary is circulated subject to amendment.

1. Mr. Mackie stated that in his opinion it was

desirable to dredge the ap roaches to the whole of the

berths of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Wharf and Godown Company

to a minimum depth of 36 feet. He based his opinion on the

fact that ships drawing 32 feet of water visited Hong Kong

and he considered that it was necessary in the interests of

safe navigation, to have from 2 feet to 4 feet clearance

between the keel of the ship and the harbour bed. He

added that in the case of mail ships it was not possible to

wait for favourable tides and it was therefore necessary

that at all states of the tide these ships should be able

to get alongside the wharf. At present many of the big

ships visiting the wharves churned up the mud from the

harbour bed and found difficulty in manoeuvring in the

shallow water.

2. Questioned as the reasons for the building of the

new pier (shown as No.1 pier on the plan) Mr. Mackie stated

that in 1914 the Colonial Office recognised the liability

of the local Government to provide adequate access to any

piers erected by the Godown Company on sites approved by

the local Government. A permit was issued by the Hong Kong

Government in respect of the site of No.1 pier, and

hotwithstanding the

antimation of the Government just

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