CO129-619-7 Wah Yau College- grant of land to replace existing building 18-5-1948 - 17-6-1948 — Page 6

Secretariat file No.

7/1996/47.

lio. 109

$1,900.008

62,500

Sir,

Anssi (2)

160

GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

HONG KONG,

/fa, May, 1948.

I have the honour to request your approval to the grant by private treaty of an area of land amounting to about 200,000 square feet to the Jesuit Mission in Hong Kong. The land is in the Fo Pang Valley area on Waterloo Road, Kowloon, and the Mission proposes to construct thereon a school for 1,000 boys. This school would be named the Wah Yan College, and would replace the existing school of that name which is at present housed in inadequate rented premises and which caters for only 500 children.

2.

It is intended that this new school should be operated as a grant-in-aid school, and you will therefore wish to know what this Government's commitment will be. The cost of constructing the school inclusive of site formation will be approximately $2,000,000 to which should be added $100,000 for furniture and equipment. Under the Grant Code, Government's share of this is one half which amounts to $1,050,000. A sum of $1,000,000 has been provided in this year's estimates under Sub-head 24 of Head 8 to meet Government's liabilities towards the construction.

3.

The annual recurrent cost to Government in respect of this school is estimated at $360,000, which is $188,000 more than is paid at present in respect of the existing school catering for 500 children.

4. The Wah Yan College, being a grant-aided school, would be a Government school in all but name, and the erection of it would have the effect of providing the Colony with a new 1,000 pupil school at half cost to the tax- payer, saving $1,050,000 in capital expenditure. There would also be a saving of approximately $16,000 per annum in respect of the difference between the estimated annual running cost to Government and the running cost of a similar Government school. While the Colony would have a new school in a modern building for 1,000 pupils, there would of course only be a net increase of 500 children attending school by reason of the fact that the existing Wah Yan College would be closed.

5.

Subject to your approval the Executive Council has advised that the site be granted at a nominal premium, but that Crown rent be charged at $2,000 per acre, which is the normal rate for the district. The conditions of lease will include a covenant restricting user to educational purposes and providing that the land shall revert to Government without compensation if at any time it ceases to be used for the purpose for which it is granted.

2 8 MAY 1948

C.

I have the honour to be, Sir,

Your most obedient, humble servant,

Mharthan

COVER

GOVERNOR.

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

A. CREECH JONES, M.P.