CO129-617-2 Hong Kong Telephone Company 22-2-1947 - 3-11-1947 — Page 40

Mayfair 8166/Ext.144.

COLONIAL

OFFICE

ET

MON

$307/14

40

1

London Office of the Hong Kong Government,

8, Park Street,

London, W.1

February 22nd, 1947. Dictated: 21/2/47.

Dear Mayle,

I enclose, in duplicate, copies of two letters received from Messrs. Preece, Cardew & Rider, the Con- sulting Engineers appointed by the Eone none Pianning Unit, raising the question of the disposal of a 2,900 line Telephone Exchange originally to be installed in Hong Kong in connection wita the rehabilitation of the Hong Kong Telephone Company, and which has now been repudiated by the Company through their Agents Oriental Telephone & Electric Company.

2.

The

As you will observe from the attached corres- pondence, the order was placed under Thomson's author- ity and I understand that the consequent financial com- mitment was to be borne by the Hong kong & Shanghai Bank, but no record of this in writing is traceable on the file on the subject in my possession.

3.

The decision to obtain this Telephone Ex- change, at a cost of approximately £45,000, was taken on the assumption that 100 per cent destruction would have fallen on the Telephone Company's premises in the Colony, but on inspection it was found that the plant was largely intact although little maintenance work had

N. L. Mayle, Esq.,

Colonial Office,

Downing Street, S.W.1

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