CO129-555-1 Hong Kong Tramways Ltd.- petition 10-7-1935 - 4-10-1935 — Page 45

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No. 591/1917.

SIR,

Enclosure Nọ. (6).

COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE,

HONG KONG, 31st July, 1929.

In continuation of the letter from this office dated the 17th of June, 1929, I am directed to inform you that the representations contained in your letter of the 14th March, 1929, have been most carefully considered by His Excellency the Governor-in-Council but that His Excellency finds himself unable to make any material departure from the decision conveyed to you in the letter from this office dated the 16th of June, 1928, by which your Company's service of motor-omni- buses is confined to the routes operated by its trams.

2. I am to add, however, that favourable consideration will be given to any requests which your Company may prefer for permission to operate motor-omnibus services beyond the limits laid down in the letter of 11th June, 1928, by routes not. involving serious departure from the general principle mentioned above.

THE GENERAL MANAGER,

HONG KONG TRAMWAYS, LTD.

I am, Sir,

Your obedient servant,

(sd.) E. I. WYNNE-JONES,

Per Colonial Secretary.

Enclosure No. (7).

PETITION OF HONG KONG TRAMWAYS LTD, OF 16TH DECEMBER, 1929.

To His Excellency Sir Cecil Clementi, Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Governor of the Colony of Hong Kong and its Dependencies, Commander-in-Chief and Vice-Admiral of the

same.

Sheweth as follows:-

THE HUMBLE PETITION OF HONG KONG TRAMWAYS LIMITED.

1. On or about the 20th day of November, 1902 a company under the name of The Electric Traction Company of Hong Kong Limited was incorporated in London for the purpose, inter alia, of constructing an electric tramway in Hong Kong.

2. The capital of that Company was £825,000 divided into 325,000 shares of £1 each.

3. The Electric Traction Company of Hong Kong Limited in due course pro- ceeded to construct electric tramways in Hong Kong under and by virtue of Ordinance No. 10 of 1902.

4. That Company's undertaking proved to be in advance of the requirements of the time and such heavy losses were incurred by that Company that at an Extra- ordinary General Meeting held by them on the 6th day of July 1910 it was resolved and at a subsequent Extraordinary General Meeting held on the 27th day of July 1910 it was confirmed that the capital of the Company be reduced to £81,250 and that such reduction be effected by cancelling the paid-up capital to the extent of 15 shillings per share on each of the 325,000 issued shares of £1 of the Company and by reducing the nominal amount of each of the said shares to five shillings. It was also at the same time resolved that the name of the Company be changed to the "Hong Kong Tramway Company Limited.' The resolution to reduce the capital was approved by an order of the Court on the 13th December, 1910. No dividend was paid by the Tramway Company until 1912.

5. On the 26th day of May, 1922, your Petitioners, Hong Kong Tramways Limited, formed for the purpose of acquiring and taking over as a going concern the undertaking and all the assets and liabilities of The Hong Kong Tramway Company Limited, were incorporated under the Ordinances of Hong Kong capitalised at $1,625,000 divided into the same number of shares as in the original company incorporated in England which was then liquidated its members becoming the share- holders of the present company, your Petitioners.

6. Your Petitioners and/or their predecessors in title have erected and main- tained their Tramways to the full extent allowed and required by the Ordinance above referred to.

7. Under Clause 14 of the said Ordinance your Petitioners are required at their own expense at all times to maintain and keep in good condition and repair with such materials and in such manner as the Director of Public Works shall direct and to his satisfaction so much of any road whereon any tramway belonging to your Petitioners is laid as lies between the rail of the tramway and (where a double line of tramway is laid by the Company in any road at a distance of not more than four feet from each other) the portion of the road between the two lines of tramway and in every case so much of the road as extends eighteen inches beyond the rails of and on each side of any such tramway.

8. Your Petitioners and/or their predecessors have at all times fulfilled this and the other obligations laid upon them by the Ordinance. About seventeen acres of road nearly all in the centre of the main arterial roads in the Colony are maintained at the expense of the Company and at a consequential saving to the Government.

9. Your Petitioners submit the following figures shewing the amount that has been expended by them on capital account for new track, new rolling stock and new equipment and property over the last ten years.

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