CO129-617-6 Development- recommendations of Hong Kong Colonial Development and Welfare Committee 18-7-1947 - 23-12-1947 — Page 16

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Which have degenerated as a result of neglect during the Japanese occupation, and thereafter to extend the cultivable area beyond the pre-war limits. The scheme has the further advantage that employment will be provided for local inhabitants during the period of reconstruction. The maintenance costs in subsequent years can probably be reduced to the supply of a certain quantity of cement, the provision of labour being left to the local communities to arrange for themselves.

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Recommendation No. 5.

This project is experimental in nature. It should be considered in conjunction with the proposal regarding the experimental farm at Kam Tin. It is in effect a proposal to communicate to the farmers by means of co-operation the benefits of the experimental work carried out by the Agricultural Department. It is suggested that the Agricultural Department should establish in the first place, three depôts which would form points of contact between the Agricultural Department and the farmer. These depôts would also be the places from which distribution of matured night soil and other commodities required by the farmers could take place. The Agricultural Department would be able to pass on to the farmers information observed from the experiments carried out at Kam Tin. The depôt would also in time develop into a marketing centre for the area, where produce would be brought by the farmer for disposal through the co-operative society. In fact, the activities of the centre would be, as the Committee's report points out, similar to those of the fisheries syndicates at present in existence. The Committee envisages the financing of this scheme during its early years from Colonial Development and Welfare Funds. The expenditure allowed for in the estimates covers, in the first place, cost of construction and equipment of the centres and in addition all running expenses for the first five years. It is considered that by the end of five years, the scheme will either have proved itself successful to such an extent that it can become part of a co-operative system, in which case it will become self-sufficient, or it may be found to have failed to commend itself to the farming community, in which case it would not be persevered with. For this reason it is, as I have remark- ed above, experimental in nature and, as such, I consider that the incidence of the cost would most properly fall upon the Colonial Development and Welfare Fund rather than on the Colony's revenue. I might add that there is no reason to suppose that given an active and willing spirit amongst the staff the project will prove to be a failure. The success and popularity of the fishing co-operative societies in Hong Kong gives good reason for confidence in a similar scheme for agriculture.

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Recommendation No. 6.

A Vegetable Wholesale Marketing Scheme was introduced last year under the guidance of Father T. F. Ryan, S. J. Under this scheme, which I understand you have discussed with Father Ryan, vegetables are collected by lorries belonging to the organization and brought to markets maintained by the organization. A commission of 8% is charged on all sales to cover running cost of staff and transport. The object of the organization has not been the accumulation of profits but rather to collect only such revenue as will permit it to operate so as to ensure a reasonable return to the vegetable grower, and a reasonable purchase price for the consumer. There is thus no room for heavy capital expenditure which would tend to embarrass

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