CO129-617-7 Development- possible implementation of CD and W Committee recommendations 18-2-1948 - 12-10-1948 — Page 27

54403/48

Colonial Office,

27

Sanctuary Buildings,

Great Smith Street,

S.7.1.

30th August, 1948.

Dear Cunningham,

We should be grateful if you could let us know the Corporation's views on a proposal to establish a large factory in Hong Kong for the conversion of city night soil into a safe fertilizer for farmers. This project was originally proposed in October 1947, as one of the recommendations of the Hong Kong Colonial Development and Welfare Committee.

The output of city night soil is estimated at approximately 150 tons, daily. The capital cost of a plant to utilize the entire supply is estimated at approximately $1,000,000 (£62,500). This includes provision for 25 maturation tanks; 17 three-ton trucks fitted with tanks; a short pier; pumps, pipes and fittings; a proportion of the cost of a branch road to the site; quarters for a staff of 33; and garage and workshop for 17 trucks.

It was proposed that the project should be carried out in two stages. Part of the plant was to have been erected within a year to utilize 50 tons of night soil daily; the remainder was to have been completed in another two years. It was intended in the intervening period to carry out experiments on the manufacture of night soil and city garbage to ascertain whether it was desirable to complete the scheme for night soil only, or to modify it for the utilisation of night soil and garbage. I understand

that

J.P. CU NINGHAM, SS).