CO129-556-12 Naval Arsenal Yard- hand over to Hong Kong Government 4-2-1936 - 21-12-1936 — Page 15

COPY.

SECRET

C.R.C.C. No.X/11361/AQ.

HEADQUARTERS,

CHINA COMMAND HONG KONG,

5th February, 1936.

15

Your Excellency,

1.

I have the honour to refer to the question

of the acquisition of the Arsenal Yard, Queens Road, by the

Colonial Government from the Admiralty, and the attendant

question of the removal or diversion of the existing overhead

ropeway.

2.

On the 12th June, 1931, it was represented to

Your Excellency by this Headquarters that it was impracticable

to divert the ropeway. It appears, however, that at a later

date it was accepted that the ropeway could be diverted at an

estimated cost of £5,000. The question as to who should meet

this cost has recently been the subject of correspondence

between the War Office and this Headquarters.

3.

The re-

I have now had this question under further

examination, and I am convinced that the diversion of the

ropeway to W.D. land is an unsound and uneconomical proposi-

tion from the point of view of all parties concerned.

erection of the gantry on W.D. land and the construction of new

pylons will seriously interfere with the arrangements in the

Ordnance Depot. When it is re-erected we retain a method of

transportation which does not meet military requirements. The ropeway was constructed at a time when communication was

required between the Magazine and the Arsenal Yard sea frontage

only, all ammunition passing from Magazines to ships. The

ammunition stored by the Army, however, must be distributed to

forts by road transport.

It is obvious, therefore, that in order to

save handling and time, direct access to the Magazines by road

is preferable.

His Excellency

The Governor

HONG KONG.