CO129-586-6 Administration of the port of Hong Kong 27-1-1940 - 24-7-1940 — Page 119

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Future_dministration of the Furt or

Hong onto

The development of the harbour of Hong Kong has

largely been left to private enterprise. Kumerous piers of

varying design and utility have been constructed from time to

time to serve the needs of particular trades. The majority of

these are in private hanus, being leased either as "permanent"

piers, in which case the rights are due to expire on the Hist

December, 1949, or on annual licenses as "temporary" piers.

The storage of merchandise for local consumption, export, or in

transit, is carried out by a multitude of private firms, each

owning or leasing go-downs around the harbour. Strategic

water-fronts have been acquired by private enterprise and a

further obstacle to unified development on modern lines is the

accumulation of "marine frontage rights" resulting from

successive reclamation schemes.

2. Thus the development of the port to the best

advantage has become a problem of increasing difficulty, and

the knowledge that heavy compensation might have to be met has

at times deterred Government from proceeding with urgent

works. The matter has been under consideration for a number

of years; but it has now assumed a special urgency owing to

the necessity for an early decision as to whether the

Government will be prepared to renew the pier leases due to

expire in 1949. In October, 1938, the Governor made an

announcement in the Legislative Council to the effect that it

was not the Government's present intention to renew any of

these leases, 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, rromised that the question

of the future organisation of the port would at once be

taken into consideration,

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