CO129-582-1 Administration of the port of Hong Kong 25-7-1939 - 20-1-1940 — Page 29

TAC

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these

renew any of the-pier leases which would expire in 1949,

as it had in fact been the Government's policy for the

past 17 years to take possession of all pier sites in

1949. The Governor, however, promised that the question

of the future organisation of the port would at once be

taken into consideration.

HK

(P.to)

3. In a Report prepared by Mr. Duncan, the, Port

Engineer, in 1924 on the commercial development of the

1924,

Port of Hong Kong, some reference was made to the question

My Duncan's

of the future administration, and his solution was the

combination of private enterprise, with Government control

He stressed that the first need was for

and supervision.

a properly constituted Advisory Port Authority.

Believing that private companies could not be expected

to meet the cost of the developmental works and reforms

which were necessary to secure true efficiency and

economy in the handling of cargoes, he nevertheless

thought that private enterprise should be encouraged

rather than abandoned: but control of the port itself

and of all port facilities should be centred in the hands

of Government, who should put into operation such works

and extensions as the Advisory Authority might recommend.

The basis of that policy was in Mr. Duncan's own words

"that, while there would be the broad impartial outlook

of Government which would provide the costly works and

lease them on reasonable terms for the exploitation of the Bort, the administration of business would becarried

out by commercial people who should be interested in

despatch, efficiency, and economy on the method of Profit

and Loss.

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On the other hand, Commander Hole, the

Harbour