Sessional_Paper_1924 — Page 118

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Report referred to Chambers of Commerce.

In May 1923 the report was referred to the Chambers of Commerce for their consideration. At representative meetings of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce Committees held during the months June to September 1923, the whole question was discussed "with a pleasing breadth of view shewing a ready apprehension of present and future requirements and full realization of the difficulties and with the will to overcome them openly and public spiritedly". It so happened that, in the period when discussions took place, the Colony experienced the effects of one of the strongest typhoon gales on record. Naturally, the question uppermost in the mind of members of the Chamber's Committee was the protection of craft.

An alternative scheme propounded by Captain W. Davison, Marine Superintendent at Hongkong of the Canadian Pacific Railway Co. and a colleague, Captain Robinson, for a wet dock at Kowloon Point was submitted by them to the Chamber for its con- sideration.

The question of the provision by Government of wharfage at North Point and Kennedy Town was also discussed but as the requirements of the trade necessitating provision of wharfage in these localities had not been investigated and, in consequence, no comprehensive scheme of development had been decided, the Chamber's discussions were of an exploratory nature. It was well held, however, that the present system of mooring in the stream with overside discharge of cargo into Junks is uneconomical; it entails too many handlings of goods adding to their cost.

In the end it was decided (on the recommendation of Mr. Fletcher, acting Colonial Secretary), to postpone further discussion pending the submission of certain technical questions to me, on my return to the Colony. In his speech on the Budget debate on the 4th of October, 1923, His Excellency the Governor is reported to have said:-

"The Report of the Consulting Engineers has been referred to the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce and they wish to put certain questions to the Harbour Engineer (on his return from leave) of which perhaps the most important is the practicability of laying out new wharves in the form of a wet dock in which large steamers could shelter during typhoon weather"

In February of this year, Mr. Robert Sutherland presented to the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce a communication accompanied by drawings illustrating a Scheme for the establishment of a Passenger Depôt on the Island side of the Harbour somewhere in the vicinity of Des Voeux Road. Mr. Sutherland's memorandum was forwarded by the Chamber to Government early in March with a request that the proposals be considered in connection with Port Developments. The Chamber approved the proposals in principle, and, having due regard to general conditions affecting shipping, stated that it would welcome the practical development of such a scheme. On 26th March I received instructions to consider Mr. Sutherland's proposals.

With regard to the Schemes proposed other than that of the Consulting No. 2. Engineers' :-

Captain Davison's proposal for a wet dock at Kowloon Point.

There is much to commend this proposal from the point of view of shelter. Whilst, in my opinion, it would be possible to provide moorings sufficiently strong to hold large ocean-going steamers berthed alongside the inner side of the breakwater arm during typhoon gales, I am unable to say that a breakwater in this position will provide sufficient shelter that the effect of typhoon winds may not cause damage to ships or the quay wall alongside which they may be moored. In my opinion, vessels within the enclosed area could not lie with safety alongside the existing piers of the Wharf and Godown Co. during typhoon gales. Having regard to shelter only, the breakwater would be ineffective until wholly completed: To construct say a half of the length of the breakwater as a first section of the scheme would be to provide a trap for any vessel which ventured to shelter behind it during a typhoon which may pass near and to the north of the Colony, as typhoons in this position induce gales from a westerly direction.