CONFIDENTIAL
HONG KONG PORT ADMINISTRATION INQUIRY COMMITTEE
Representations received in response to an invitation addressed to certain persons by the Chairman on 23.9.46.
(Continued)
145
H
No.3
From:
Mr. F. C. Barry,
Managing Director,
Hong Kong & Shanghai Hotels Ltd.
"In response to the invitation extended me by letter under date the 23rd instant from the Chairman of your Committee, I beg to advise having had no real practical experience which would enable me to formulate views indicating positive suggestions, and accordingly I would submit the following general observations only:
(a)
(b)
(၁)
(a)
The Owen Report, of which I had prior knowledge, taken as a whole, appears to be a form of compromise between a Port Trust, such as obtains in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, in which the port facilities such as Warehousing Wharves, Piers, etc., are incorporated in the Trust, and a form where only a number of Piers seems to be concerned, together, of course, with projects for the future.
A Trust, in these circumstances, would to my mind serve no definite purpose and might result in undesirable decentralisation of duties now performed by the Harbour Office under the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Acts and our own Shipping Ordinance.
The future status of the Colony is also one which must be taken into account, whilst the formation of an autonomous body such as a Trust might, despite assertions to the contrary contained in the Report in question, be a further expense on an already overburdened Treasury.
The various schemes appear to me to be very desirable, and when the entire plan has been drawn up, considered by interested parties and approved, could well be implemented by a
Development Board', their execution being completed by the Port Works Office in an agreed order of priority."
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