CO129-628-4 Recreation grounds- grants of land to clubs 1-8-1950 - 31-10-1951 — Page 28

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APPENDIX IV.

Old Established Clubs which qualify under the recommendation made at II, para. 7(a).

I. At Wong Nei Chong.

The Hong Kong Football Club.

The Craigengower Cricket Club.

The Police Recreation Club.

II. At Caroline Hill.

South China Athletic Club.

III. At Sookunpoo.

Indian Recreation Club.

IV. At Causeway Boy.

Hong Kong Chinese Recreation Club.

V. At King's Park.

Kowloon Bowling Green Club.

Kowloon Cricket Club.

Club de Recreio,

European Y. M. C. A.

Kowloon Indian Tennis Club.

South China Athletic Association Tennis Club, Kowloon.

The Filipino Club.

The Little Flower Club.

VI. At Boundary Street.

The Police Recreation Club.

APPENDIX V.

HONG KONG CRICKET CLUB.

The Hon. Sir Arthur Morse, C.B.E. HONG KONG.

Dear Sir,

Hong Kong, 25th January, 1950,

RECREATION GROUNDS.

I understand that the Committee under your Chairmanship appointed to advise Government on Recreation and Playgrounds is now in a position to consider the case of the Hong Kong Cricket Club Ground.

You and your Committee are no doubt aware of what has transpired since the liberation in regard to our tenancy, but as my Committee is anxious to obtain a more secure position, for which purpose we now take the liberty to seek your support, it will be well if I recapitulate for your guidance the facts of our case.

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The Hong Kong Cricket Club was founded in June, 1851 and has held the ground now under our control for 99 years.

So far as is known we have never had a formal lease. We have been tenants- at-will of the Governor.

I personally recall that the question of a lease was raised in 1924 when the present Pavilion was built, but a verbal assurance that we should not be disturbed enabled us to proceed with the new building with confidence.

Since 1924 the Club has grown considerably, and with this expansion in Member- ship foreseen the Pavilion was so constructed as to be able to take another storey if

necessary.

Since the liberation there has been a further considerable increase in Member- ship owing to the large influx of young men from home, in addition to which our roll of Service Subscribers has also been greatly augmented by the present garrison. Our Membership now totals 1160.

Before the war the H.K.C.C. was not open to ladies, but it is now our policy, as in most other Cricket Clubs in the Colony, to cater for the needs of Members' wives and lady friends.

For these reasons our accommodation is considered inadequate for our present needs and it is the wish of my Committee to build the extra storey originally planned, which obviously cannot be done unless we can be assured of security of tenure for a reasonable term of years.

You will recall that in November 1948 Government terminated our tenancy to take effect from April 1950, but we have now been informed by the Colonial Secretary that Government does not anticipate requiring us to leave our Pavilion for the present and that our position reverts to tenants-at-will.

Whilst this may be considered satisfactory as compared with the prospect of an early upheaval, it is not sufficient for us to implement our policy and we would like to obtain a lease if this can possibly be achieved.

I am informed that it is not the intention of Government to use our ground for building purposes, but that it shall remain part of the "green belt" theme in the scheme of future development.

This being the case I am prompted to submit for the consideration of your Com- mittee our reasons for wishing to press for the retention of our Club and ground.

As I have mentioned, the Club has existed in its present site for nearly a century. We were, I believe, the first Civilian Sports Club to be formed in the Colony, having secured the ground from the Military as a recreation ground for the early settlers from the Home Country, and the welfare of this section of the community has been, and remains, our primary responsibility. I should mention, in parenthesis, that this responsibility extend to members from other European countries such as Scandana- vian countries, France, Holland and the U.S.A. for whom no other facilities exist in Hong Kong. With Hong Kong's natural development other Clubs have been formed from time to time to cater for other requirements in other parts of the Colony, but our purpose has remained basically the same, and in return for the use of the Ground for the Club's recreational purposes it has been our responsibility to maintain it in good condition, a matter of not inconsiderable expense.

The ground which we occupy is admittedly public ground and, as in the case of certain London parks railings are necessary to preserve the grass, so with us, were it not for the railings the ground would soon be reduced to sand and we should be

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