CO129-582-1 Administration of the port of Hong Kong 25-7-1939 - 20-1-1940 — Page 30

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-recently

has more

(ur

Harbour Master, /urged that the administration of the port

should be placed under the control of a Port Commission

on the lines of that obtaining at Colombo, in Geyiun

As against this, however, the Hong Kong General Chamber

of Commerce has declared that the development of the

harbour should be left as at present in the hands of

private enterprise, on the grounds that this is most likely to secure that harbour facilities will be kept as

cheap as possible and that the Wharf Companies who have

developed their frontages should be able to look forward

to assured possession and control of their own activities.

5. In a Report recently prepared by Mr. Nicol,

the present Port Engineer, reference is made to the fact

that certain pier owners exploit shipping and that large

rentals are paid for very indifferent berthage. He has

also pointed out that there is an outcry from time to

time for the construction of berthage that would give

some protection to shipping during the approach of

typhoon storms, but that the construction of such works,

if desirable, would seem to be beyond the means of

private enterprise.

The Hong Kong Government has made it clear that

it cannot accept any suggestion that past expenditure by

existing private enterprises gives the latter any claim

to the perpetuation of their present rights of user but

6.3. The fundament at it is clear that detailed reference will have to be made

to the adequacy of the existing harbour facilities before

any attempt can be made to assess the relative value of

the various opinions which have been expressed on the

subject of administration. In short, the fundamental

issue of the problem may be summarised in the questions-

By

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