CO129-557-6 Tenure of lands held by War Department 16-1-1936 - 25-1-1937 — Page 11

The first subject is the matter of

the Colonial Government's claim to rent for

the Sham Shui Po camp site. The land was

occupied by the War Department as temporary

provision for troops during the Shanghai

in 1927

troubles, but the War Department has remained

in possession ever since. The Colonial

Government generously waived its claim for

Crown rent up to 1933, in spite of the fact

that the War Office could no longer claim

that they were in possession of this site as a

temporary emergency. The Colonial Government's

claim for Crown rent since 1st January, 1933,

at the rate of $125,000 a year amounts to

year,

approximately $1,000,000, since it is not

expected that the War Department will relinquish

the area until at least four years from the

present date. The Colonial Government, by this

agreement, will now waive all claims in respect

of the rent for this site up to a maximum of

$1,000,000, whilst in return the War Department

will bear the whole cost of anti-malarial works

on the Kau Lung Tsai site up to a maximum of

$975,000, and of their future maintenance.

very

This settlement must be regarded as

a considerable concession on the part of the

Hong Kong Government, since they have not only

waived their not unreasonable claims to Crown

rent prior to 1933, but also suffered from the

disparity of $25,000 between the respective

payments. Since, however, the work will benefit

urban areas and there is a stipulation that

the military authorities should mai

should maintain closer སྐ

moreover, the expenses of the inalareal works are not sirectly the leability of the H.K. Govt since the Cantonment

unit will always be the beyglot pofulution in the region areas

although the

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for rent, so, drukty

work will very the expense, set off against the W.D's leabiliter

stelling, expenditure which ought abe born by the coe. Govt.