CO129-610-3 Rehabilitation of Hong Kong University 15-2-1949 - 7-2-1950 — Page 108

provided by H.#.0. would be invested in the loan and ised now on rehabilitation (to meet Item 5-4 of the Vahedule of expenditure under the kehabilitation loun-grunt to Hong Kong University), while the

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Hong Kong Government would provide 347,300 a year for 15 years towards recurrent development expenditure. se do not know whether we could persuade the Treasury that that procedure was in accordance with the Chancellor of the exchequer's expressed wish that the grant should be used for the rehabilitation and development of the University,

40 Even if it were agreed that it does not conflict in any way with the Chancellor's wish, there remains the big difficulty discussed in paragraph 12 of your despatch that at the end of the fifteen years the University's income would suddenly drop by 347,300 a year, and an alternative source of income would heve to be found if the additional staff were to be retained. If therefore the 2250,000 is to be invested by the University so that the income can be used to finançe annual development expenditure it would seem to be wiser to invest in such a manner sS to produce a continuing, although admittedly smaller, income which would not cease at the end of firteen years.

2. All these uncertainties add up in our minds to a doubt whether the University is not planning too beldly. The new or widened studies which it is proposed to introduce, as they are outlined in your peregraph 11, are all undoubtedly dosirable, and we recognise the vision which has gone to their planning. Đạt planning must be related to possibilities, and, putting possibilities at their worst, the prospect must be faced that if no C.D. & W. assistance is ultimately

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