Sessional_Paper_1908 — Page 640

Hon. Dr. Ho Kai, M.B., C.M., C.M.G. Hon. Mr. Wei Yuk.

520

Hon. Capt. L. A. W. Barnes-Lawrence.

E. A. Irving, Esq.

Fung Wa Chun, Esq.

Lau Chu Pak, Esq.

Tang Chi Ngong, Esq. Ho Kom Tong, Esq. Francisco Tse Yat, Esq. D. R. Law, Esq.

A. G. Wood, Esq.

D. Nissim, Esq.

A. J. Raymond, Esq.

1. N. Mody, Esq.

A. Haupt, Esq.

N. A. Siebs, Esq.

E. Goetz, Esq.

A. Babington, Esq.

HONGKONG, 5th August, 1908.

SIR,-With reference to our letters of 23rd April and 23rd June last addressed to the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce on the subject of the proposed typhoon harbour of refuge at Mong Kok Tsui, copies of which were forwarded by them to the Government, and to the last of which we have not yet officially received a copy of the Government's reply, although we notice a copy of same in this morning's Daily Press, we beg to state that, we most emphatically protest against the resolution to be proposed in the Legislative Council on the 6th inst. to raise the Light Dues leviable on steamers entering this port from 1 cent to 2 cents per net register ton, for the purpose of partly financing the scheme to build a harbour of refuge at Mong Kok Tsui at a cost of $1,500,000.

From the copy in the Daily Press of your letter to the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce replying to our communication of 23rd June last, we notice that the Government have made some capital out of the fact that two members of the 1906 Typhoon Relief Committee, whose firms represent large shipping interests here and who are signatories to our letters of 23rd April and 23rd June last, acquiesced in the recommendation made by that Committee to the Government that the harbour of refuge at Mong Kok Tsui should be proceeded with at once.

While this statement is correct in as far as it goes, we would direct the attention of the Government to the fact that the question of financing the proposed harbour of refuge at Mong Kok Tsui was never discussed by that Committee who understood that it was to be paid for by the Government out of the funds promised by them to the Relief Fund, but which were not required for that purpose.

Further, we should like to state that the present proposals by the Government to spend $1,500,000 on a Harbour of Refuge at Mong Kok Tsui-half of which has to be provided by the Shipping Companies-is quite another matter, and had such proposals been made by the 1906 Typhoon Relief Committee, it is safe to assume that both the gentlemen mentioned in your letter of 25th July last to the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce would have strongly protested against the proposal.

But putting that matter on one side, it has been again clearly demonstrated to us in the recent unfortunate typhoon of the 27th/28th July that there is no necessity for the con- struction of so large and costly a harbour of refuge as that proposed by the Government.