Sessional_Paper_1896 — Page 587

No. 456.

1896

HONGKONG.

REPORT ON THE PROGRESS OF THE TAIPINGSHAN IMPROVEMENT WORKS.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor.

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No. 36 96.

PUBLIC WORKS OFFICE, HONGKONG, 11th August, 1896.

SIR,In accordance with the instructions of His Excellency the Governor contained in C.S.O. 187 dated the 12th June last, I have the honour to forward the following report upon the

progress of the Taipingshan Improvement Works.

2. As a good deal of misunderstanding appears to exist as to the improvement of the area resum- ed, I propose briefly to record the proceedings that have been adopted with respect to the resumption and subsequent improvement of this area.

RESUMPTION.

3. Under the provisions of Ordinance 8 of 1894, the area now known as the "Resumed area of Taipingshan," the area of private property being 6.25 acres in extent, was resumed on the 26th day of September, 1894. Under the provision of section 7, no houses on the lands resumed could be altered, pulled down or destroyed pending the publication of the list referred to in section 6, sub-sec- tion 3.

4. On the 10th of November, 1894. shortly after my return from leave, ascertaining that the Government had taken no steps whatever for the valuation, on behalf of the ratepayers of the Colony, of the claims that would be made in respect of the properties resumed, I addressed a letter No. 886, C.S.O. 884, to the Government on the subject, and the work was entrusted to the Colonial Treasurer, the Deputy Land Officer and myself.

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5. The preparation of the necessary plans and the collection of the information required naturally occupied a considerable time, and the Board which was appointed under the provisions of section 5 of Ordinance 8 of 1894 on the 10th November, 1894, did not hear any claims till the 27th December, 1894, and did not publish the list required under section 6 till 9th March, 1895, Government Gazette page 165, and the enquiry was not completed and the awards published till the 18th May, Government Gazette, page 519.

.6. During the greater portion of this period, viz, from December to March, my own time and that of other officers of the Department was to a large extent occupied in attending to the ordinary routine work of the Department and the valuation of the several properties (118 lots and 417 houses) included in this area, and subsequent attendance at the arbitration. A special report upon this subject dated the 6th March, 1895, will be found in Sessional Paper 11 of 1895.

IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.

7. On the 25th March, 1895, I submitted a report, Sessional Paper 14 of 1895, and project for the Improvement of the Resumed Area. These were referred to the Public Works Committee on the 11th April, 1895, and again on the 23rd May, 1895, the members requiring further time to consider the project. In the interval, I attended a private meeting of the Unofficial Members at the invitation of the Honourable C. P. CHATER and further explained the report and project.

8. On the 6th of June, 1895, the project was adopted by Council, and the approval of the Secre- tary of State was communicated by telegraph on the 11th June aud confirmed by C.O.D. 15, received on the 7th September.

9. The first step to be taken was the clearing out of the woodwork and demolition of some of the buildings, in order to admit of the permanent works being cominenced.

10. Operations were commenced in June, and the removal of buildings in Taipingshan, Market, Upper Station, Square and Bridges Streets, and Tank Laue, was effected during the months of August, September and October.

11. An attempt was made to obtain satisfactory offers for the building material in July, 1895, C.S.O. 1781, but was unsuccessful. It was subsequently decided to sell the material by public auction, the first sale took place on the 25th July, 1895.

12. Subsequently, various sales at public auction took place till the 3rd March last, when I received instructions to cancel the sale advertised to take place on the 6th of that month, C.S.O. 447

13. On the 8th of April, I addressed the Government pointing out that the delay in getting the aren rid of dangerous buildings was seriously interfering with the progress of the permanent works and I received authority to pull down certain buildings, burn the woodwork and stack the bricks