CO129-627-2 Fertilizer factory new territories- contains drawings 1-12-1950 - 31-1-1952 — Page 155

Sect. file No.23/641/50.

No. 136

Sir,

GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

HONG KONG,

12th December, 1950.

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I have the honour to refer to paragraph 7 of my despatch 244 of 23rd October, 1947, and to the memorandum attached thereto dealing with a request for Colonial Development and Welfare 54403) 1947 assistance in establishing a fertilizer factory in the New

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Territories.

2. As I mentioned in my savingram 202 of 16th February, 1950, experiments in compost production from nightsoil and city garbage have been proceeding since the early part of this year, and the stage has now been reached when it is desired to put into final form the scheme for a compost plant before making a formal and

In detailed request for Colonial Development and Welfare funds. this connexion reference is invited to the memorandum accompanying your predecessor's despatch 209 of 13th July, 1948, which contained the suggestion that the project should be financed on the basis of 50% Colonial Development and Welfare grant and 50% loan from other sources.

3. I now enclose a copy of a memorandum on the subject which has been circulated to and discussed by the Executive Council, on whose advice I now request that an expert from the United Kingdom be engaged to advise on the various technical details in connexion with the proposed scheme. Any charges arising from this visit will be met from Hong Kong funds in the first instance.

4. Pending consideration of this expert's report I would be grateful if you would regard the attached memorandum as the first part of a formal application to the Colonial Development and Welfare Committee, the detailed costs of the scheme to be forwarded later after the expert's views have been taken into consideration. While a detailed estimate at this stage is impossible, it is expected that the capital outlay will be in the region of H.K.$3,000,000, with $500,000 as recurrent costs, a proportion of which will, however, covered by returns.

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5. The expert whom I have in mind for this project is Mr. L.P. Brunt, of Mitchell Engineering Limited, 1 Bedford Square, W.C.1. I understand that he has considerable experience of compost schemes, and I would be grateful if enquiries could be made as to whether his services could be made available to this Government for a short period. I think a stay of two months should be sufficient to enable him to advise in detail on this scheme.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient, humble servant,

4-1/3

Enclosure.

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

JAMES GRIFFITHS, M.P.

GOVERNOR.