61303-1919-Replies-to-questions-asked-by-the-Hon-Mr-Ho-Fook — Page 1

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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, MAY 16, 1919.

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.

No. 212.-It is hereby notified that the following club has been exempted by the Officer Administering the Government in Council from registration under the Socie- ties Ordinance, 1911, Ordinance No. 47 of 1911, and its name is hereby added to the List of Exempted Societies, published in Government Notification No. 184 of 1919, under the following heading:-

Sport (Non-Chinese). Kowloon Chess Club.

8th May, 1919.

No. 213.

Order made by the Officer Administering the Government in Council under sections 3 and 4 of the Importation and Exportation Ordinance, 1915, Ordinance No. 32 of 1915, on the 15th day of May, 1919.

Rule 41 of the rules made by the Governor in Council under the above Ordinance and subsequently amended is further amended by the transfer of the headings "Man- ganese Ore

Rattan" in the Schedule to the rule from Class (B) to Class (C).

and

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COUNCIL CHAMBER,

15th May, 1919.

A. D. BALL,

Clerk of Councils.

NOTE. Rule 41 was was published in the Gazette of the 31st January, 1919, and was amended in the following Gazettes :--

14th February, 1919. 11th April,

1919.

14th April, 1919.

25th April, 1919.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

No. 214. The Honourable Mr. Ho Fook gave notice, on the 2nd May, 1919, of the following questions:---

Will the Government state

(a) Whether the terms and conditions attached to the letting of the piece of Crown land north of the Central Market have been varied or modified since the highest tender was accepted: And, if so, what are the variations or modifications and the reasons therefor?

(b) What was the amount of the second highest tender?.

The replies thereto are as follows:-

(a) A disagreement occurred between the Government and the lessee regarding the proper interpretation of one of the conditions of the lease, and the lessee refused to sign the lease agreement.

The Government was advised that the lessee was bound by his con- tract, but the condition in question was admittedly worded in an unsatis- factory manner, and it was considered advisable to settle the matter by negotiation rather than to bring it before the Courts. The lessee was very willing to meet the Government in the matter and terms were forthwith arranged, to the effect that the monthly rent should be reduced from $2,520 to $2,100 and that the lessee should have an option to continue the lease, which was due to expire on the 28th January, 1920, until the 31st December, 1921, subject to one month's notice if at any time after the 28th January, 1920, the Government should require the site for its

own use.