Sessional_Paper_1887-1888 — Page 344

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26. It is to this precedent doubtless that Mr. CHATER alludes when he pleads an exemption from money premium. Mr. CHATER says in his letter he fears this charge might throw cold water on his project and frustrate its realization.

27. As the total area of sea proposed to be converted into land is 59 acres and as only 32 acres will be kept for building on, and the remaining 27 be given up to Government for roads and streets, it will be seen that already the Govern- ment takes largely from the lot-owners in land in lieu of money, and if past Gov- ernments in order to encourage and promote the creation of new building sites for the growing city, have deemed it politic to levy no premium on sea reclamations. I think the same policy should with greater reason be observed now, for never were inducements for the creation of fresh building land more required than at the pre- sent moment. The City which is hemmed in by an almost perpendicular wall of mountain at the back and by the sea along the front has already become danger- ously congested, and finds itself in the direst need of room for expansion. For this reason, any and every reclamation scheme that will give more room should be welcome to Government.

28. Touching the question of annual Crown Rents leviable on the proposed new sea lots: it is necessary to explain that the present marine lots along the Praya having been sold at different periods, there is no uniformity of rate in the rents which have been charged. Sites sold in the earliest times of the Colony when land was a drug still pay the miserably small rent of former days. As the island became more populated and some demand for building ground along the sea-board arose, rents were raised, and continued to be raised at each successive auction sale of land. We see therefore the greatest disparity in the rates of Crown Rent paid by different lots, some paying four times as much as others. I do not think this disparity should be continued in the proposed new sea lots. I am of opinion these should pay one uniform rate of rent along the entire line of shore. I would rate them all at the maximum, ¿e., $200 per quarter acre per annum. This will make an aggregate Rent-Roll of $25,000.

29. As inland lot leases in this town are, generally speaking, not so valuable as marine leaseholds, it is not impossible the promoters of this reclamation scheme may upon its completion, appeal to Government to transfer their present Praya lots to the category of inland lots with reduced annual Crown Rent. If such an appeal were made there would be but one reply and that in the negative, for the depreciation of the lots situated along what is now the sea (if any depreciation occurred at all) would be due to the deliberate act of the lot-owners themselves in having interposed new land between their present frontages and the harbour. It will be better to stipulate beforehand therefore that no request of the kind, if made, will be granted. But so far from being depreciated my own conviction is that the present value of the inner row of lots will be maintained if not enhanced by the proposed new reclamations for if the scheme is realized the inner road (at present the Praya) will front a great and important main avenue of noble width, nearly as wide as Regent Street in London with double tram-lines and enormous business traffic. Indeed I am disposed to view this proposed new inland avenue as a more important thoroughfare for shops and business premises than the proposed new marine embankment itself, and to estimate the value of frontages on the avenue at the same, if not a larger figure than the future Praya frontages.

30. Last but not least comes the important provision that must be made by Government for securing that the 32 acres of reclamation shall be built upon subject only to such sanitary regulations as may be laid down or to such lease conditions as the Government shall dictate. If left to themselves the native landlords will speedily cover the embanked lands with fever dens of the usual Hongkong type. It will be deemed a great hardship if the Government insists on light and ventilation, or on 15 foot back yards, and such other requirements as will fit the proposed new tenements for human habitation. But on this point the Colonial Government will, I apprehend, be as firm as a rock.

31. Mr. CHATER's scheme does not extend further east than the Central Dis- trict of Victoria. He stops short at Murray Pier because Murray Pier is the boundary line of the Naval and Military premises, and because, obviously, it is no use considering reclamations in the Eastern town, as long as the Eastern town remains cut off from the larger and far more important Western town by the absence of any Praya Embankment.