CO129-540-7 Dredging of Hong Kong Harbour 26-4-1932 - 1-10-1932 — Page 96

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Railway reclamation at Hung Hom Bay.

Before terms had

finally been settled between Government and the Company regarding this proposition, the Company successfully concluded an agreement with the Naval Authorities regarding the Naval Camber. They thereupon reverted to their original scheme of extending to the north of their existing property. During the course of the negotiations with Government which followed the Company wrote in August 1930 requesting that the approaches to it, shown as coloured blue and coloured red and hatched blue on the plan, should be dredged by Government to a depth of thirty-six feet. They were informed in reply that "Government is not prepared to give any undertaking that the area of the sea bed opposite your property will be dredged and maintained

It would therefore have to a depth of thirty-six feet".

been possible for the Company at this stage to have reverted either to the scheme of erecting a pier at Hung Hom Bay or to one of their earlier proposals, which was abandoned owing to their being unable to reach an agreement with the Naval Authorities as referred to above, of making the new pier sufficient only for smaller ships of comparatively shallow draught, and lengthening either one or two of the most southerly of their existing piers. They did not however adopt this course, and, whilst noting "with regret that Government is not prepared to give any undertaking that the area, over which vessels must pass when approaching the new wharf, will be dredged", accepted the terms and conditions of Government on 8th October, 1930, and proceeded to construct the pier. Shortly before it

was