HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
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The only other point to which I wish to make reference is what has been referred to as Government House and City Development Scheme. The scheme has been submitted to the Honourable Members and has received their approval and that of the Secretary of State. I am glad that the proposal to build the new Government House at Magazine Gap meets with approbation. The site was only chosen after careful consideration. The suggestion that on the completion of the house a Governor's Visitors' Book should be kept at the Colonial Secretary's office appears sound. I fear that I shall not be here myself, but I feel sure that my successor will be ready to adopt the proposal.
I have already been approached in regard to the proposed new road on the north side of the Cathedral, and have recorded my view that, unless there are cogent reasons to the contrary, this portion should not be open to motor traffic.
It is the present intention of Government to find room in the new City Hall for the library removed from the old building.
I am of opinion that it is most desirable that, if the Secretary of State sees no objection, we should treat this scheme as a whole as a matter separate from the ordinary estimates. It entails, on the one side, the sale of land after site preparation, and on the other, the levelling of land and the construction of a new Government House, a New City Hall and various other buildings for Government purposes.
So far as can be seen at present, the scheme should result in a very large profit, but until it is further advanced it would, in my opinion, be entirely wrong to use any money which we may have received under the scheme for any other purpose.
It may happen that the Colony will have to wait for several years for the benefit of such profits as may accrue, and at present such profit is merely an estimate.
Should it approach the estimated figure, Government will have a very large amount at its disposal and, if I may indulge in a vision looking ahead to a time a year or two after I shall have left the Colony, I hope to see the greater part of that profit utilized for slum improvement in Hong Kong. As to its need there can be no doubt, but it is a difficult problem of which, having regard to the financial side, I have not been able to find a solution. The increased number of buildings which have been erected in various parts of the Colony must, I think, have relieved to some extent the congestion in the most crowded parts, but this is not an entire solution of the problem.
When more buildings are erected and funds become available it may be possible to break up some of the congested areas and open up new streets and open spaces.
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