TELEPHONE, WHITEHALL 6505 (4 LINES). TELEGRAMS, CREEPHOLE.PARL.LONDON.
TELEGRAPHIC (A. B.C.. BENTLEY'S. BROOMHALL'S.
ES USED HAMILTON'S WIRE, WESTERN UNION.
VHA/MM
PREECE, CARDEW & RIDER,
CONSULTING ENGINEERS.
SIR ARTHUR PREECE.
J. H. RIDER.
JOHN BELL.
C. H. PICKWORTH.
8 & 10, QUEEN ANNE'S GATE,
WESTMINSTER, S.W.1.
In trilicate.
22nd January, 1947.
Ref.VHW/220.
The Under Secretary of state,
Colonial Office,
Downing Street, S. W. 1.
43
Hong Kong Telephone Co. Ltd.
he beg to seek your instructions concerning an order for Telephone Exchange Equipment placed by us with Messrs. Siemens Bros. & Co. Ltd., on the 29th May, 1945, in accordance with instructions sent us by Mr. W.M. Thomson of the Coloni≥1 office, 2, Park Street, .1., ref.351/7, dated 24th May, 1945, of which we enclose a copy for ready referonce. At that time we were Consultants to the Hong Kong Planning Unit concerning the placing of orders and supply of equipment for the Hong Kong Telephone system.
2. On the 28th September, 1945, we received from Major Ferrell, an engineer of the Compeny who had been with the Plenning Unit and had proceeded to Hong Kong, a telegram as under: -
"Advise Siemens no urgency 2900 lines rutomatic
equipment stop Desire postpone order which can later form part Kowloon main extension as per
prewar contract with Siemens letter follows Farrell
This was followed by a letter dated 26th September, 1945, and signed by Major J. P.sherry, Managing Director for the Hong Kong Telephone Co.Ltd., containing the followingt-
"We telegraphed you on 14th Sept. advising that
no serious damage had boon sustained to the main Hong Kong and Kowloon Exchanges or the main cable network, niding that telephone service had already been restored to 8000 subscribers end that the evailsble European Staff (all P.0.W.) were carrying on. e have not yet, as you will readily understand, been able to make anything like a detailed survey of the plant and equipment as we are much too busy maintaining service and meeting the requirements of the Administration and the Foros. However, a good cœmerciel service is being given and much has been done in the establishment of maintepanoo routines which had been non-existent under the Japanese.
We telegraphed you again on 25th Sept. asking
you to instruct Siemens to postpone the order for 2900 lines of Automatic Equipment ordered by Major Farrell as there is no urgency for the supply of this equipment an: we hope to be able to fit it into our general sohene for expansion
long the lines visualised in the order we
hed
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