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It is
whether the efforts now being made to rersuade the Netherlands Harbour Works to retain their plant in the Colony are successful, as without this plant any large scale reclamation will be impossible. No less than five items on the programme require considerable preliminary reclamation work, and in this connection it may be of interest to mention that the Jockey Club has recently promised a contribution of $2 million towards the cost of the Causeway Bay Reclamation Scheme. the intention that the area thus reclaimed should not be made available for building purposes, but should be set aside for sports fields and to provide other much needed forms of recreation for the community. It is probable that later on a stadium to meet the needs of the Colony will be built there. The erection of a City Hall is a matter to which the general public attach very great importance, but this also is dependent on the retention of the plant of the Netherlands Harbour Works, as the only suitable site for such a building would be on one of the reclaimed areas. If it is finally decided that facilities at Kai Tak should be improved, considerable reclamation will also be necessary there. and it is presumed that the interest-free loan of £3,000,000 which was offered by His Majesty's Government under the 1948 financial settlement, will be made available for any such scheme. This loan was agreed to before the site of any improved airport had been decided upon, and it was offered for the construction of a modern airport of international standard so was in no way bound up with the Deep Bay scheme.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient, humble servant;
GOVERNOR.
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