Sessional_Paper_1908 — Page 638

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Hongkong of itself is not naturally an industrial centre. It has risen to be one by the freedom and cheapness of the port-that is the one advantage that has enabled the Colony to rise above natural disadvantages, and if we are to continue to prosper this advantage must not be interfered with; if it is, just as surely as taxation is increased and cost of production levelled up to other places will the port decay.

COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE.

HONGKONG, 25th July, 1908.

SIR,I am directed to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 3rd instant with its en- closures, relative to the construction of a Typhoon Shelter and the means of raising funds for the work.

2. Your Committee urge that a new Shelter is unnecessary and that Causeway Bay is sufficient for all purposes. The Government is somewhat at a loss to understand this change of opinion on the part of the Committee of the Chamber in view of their letter of the 16th of July, 1904, in which the provision of an additional Shelter either at Mong Kok Tsui or Cheung Sha Wan was strongly advocated. A copy of the letter in question is appended for convenience of reference together with copy of a letter from the Typhoon Relief Committec dated the 25th of March, 1907, in which that Committee endorsed the proposal for a Shelter at Mong Kok Tsui. I append a list of the names of the Committee in question on which the Chamber of Commerce was strongly represented. It is to be noticed that Mr. W. J. Gresson and Mr. D. R. Law representing two of the largest Shipping Firms, which now dissent from the proposal, were on the Committee. To make the record complete I am also to append the reports of the l'ublic Works Committee who considered and reported on this question in 1906 and 1907.

*

3. Judging by the speeches of Un-official Members of Council in September last, and by other expressions of public opinion it would seem that the view now put forward by the Chamber is not shared by the community outside the shipping interests. His Excellency on the occasion referred to endorsed the pledge given by his predecessor that Government would undertake the provision of an additional Shelter without delay, and the regrettable delay which has already occurred is due to circumstances, as will be explained, over which the Government has had little or no control.

4. Assuming therefore that the large majority of the Community of Hongkong consider that the provision of an additional Typhoon Shelter is an urgent and paramount necessity, the first matter to be settled was its location and cost Prolonged investigation into these two questions has been responsible for the greater part of the delay which has taken place, and finality was at last reached on the report of the Public Works Committee of the Legis lative Council (No. 1 of 1958),* It was then decided on the reports of experts that the best site was at Mong wok Tsui, and that the scheme proposed by Mr. BOULTON at an estimated cost of 1 million dollars should be undertaken His Excellency does not propose to re-open this discussion, which would merely result in further delay.

5. Adverting now to your remarks regarding the deepening of Causeway Bay, I am to inform you that a tender has already been accepted for deepening the Southern portion of the Causeway Bay Shelter to a depth of 1 foot below low water of ordinary Spring Tides and work will commence on this at once.

6. The next question at issue is the means by which the funds required for the new Typhoon Shelter are to be raised. In this connection I am to point out that the quotation given in your letter under reply from a Despatch received from Mr. Chamberlain when Secretary of State for the Colonies does not convey an accurate idea of the views expressed by him. In the last paragraph of the Despatch referred to he wrote :-

"I desire to add, that if at any time hereafter urgent necessity should arise for in- creasing the general revenue, I should be prepared to consider any proposal for again raising the shipping dues, as I have no reason to think that the present charge has borne very hardly on the shipping interests ".

* Not printed.