CO129-543-12 Loans for public work 29-3-1933 - 20-12-1933 — Page 36

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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

New Post Office at Kowloon.

It is satisfactory to note that the Government is seriously con- sidering the erection of a new Post Office at Kowloon Point, and we hope that its erection will not remain merely a pious hope for many years to come as has happened in the case of the new Gaol, the new Government Civil Hospital, the new Central British School and other projects which have hung fire for so long in the past after having been approved of in principle.

New Central British School.

In regard to the new Central British School, this seems a convenient point to interpose some words of criticism.

On the 22nd September, 1932, in the debate on the Budget for 1933 (see Hong Kong Hansard for 1932, at page 154) the then acting Colonial Secretary, the Honourable Mr. E. R. Hallifax, said:-

"The Government has selected the Government Civil Hospital, the Central British School and the Kowloon Hospital as the objects on which attention should most immediately be concentrated."

The results of that concentration as regards the site for the new Central British School have been particularly disappointing.

In view of the fact that the site, which had been originally selected for the School, had (notwithstanding repeated protests from the Kowloon Residents' Association) at the time when the then Acting Colonial Secretary made the above remarks, been already appropriat- ed as a site for the new Mental Hospital, one would have thought that the very least that the Government should have done would have been to let out the contract for the site formation of the new substituted site for the new Central British School as soon as possible after the 22nd September, 1932, and thus remove as speedily as possible the disgrace of British children in this Colony continuing for one moment longer than was necessary to be taught in the higgledy-piggledy and far too small congeries of buildings which form the present Central British School.

But what are the facts as to the site formation of the new school site?

They are almost unbelievable.

I have recently learned, as the result of inquiries, that the contract for the site formation of the new site for the new School was only signed on the 30th May this year, and that the contract stipulates 15 months for the completion of such site formation.

So much for Government concentration.

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