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March 9, 1901.]
Public Works Dapartment with the enormous tasks on its hands at the present moment the existing Reclamation, the Water Supply, the proposed New Public Buildings-is not in a position to undertake another Reclamation, that there will be no difficulty in having the work done by Engineers and Contractors employed directly by the Marine Lot holders, it being, of course, thoroughly understood that all plans must be submitted to and approved by the Director of Public Works and "that the works would have to be carried out in accordance with such plans and to his complete satisfaction.-I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient and humble Servant,
(Signed) C. P. CHATER. ́
The Honourable
THE ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY,
Hongkong.
COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE,
Hongkong, 13th September, 19 0. SIR.-I am directed to inform you that the Governor has had under consideration your letter of the 12th of June, in which you propose a scheme for a large reclamation from the sea between Araзnal Street and East Point and for the utilisation of Morrison Hill bud Mount Shadwell in connection with the reclamation.
His Excellency is prepared to view favourably your suggestion that the reclamation should be carried out on behalf of the Marins Lot holders by the Government, rather than that the Government should exercise its undo ibted right to make the reclamation on its own account.
But His Excellency is not prepared to con cade the terms, unduly favourable to the Marine Lot holders, which are proposed in your letter.
The valus of the land which will be com- prised in this new Reclamation is and must be a matter of opinion, and since it cannot be determined now His Excellency is prepared to recommend to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, whose sanction must be obtained before any reclamation is made. the following principle for onsaring that the Goverment on bзhalf of the whole Colony obtains a fair share with the Marine Lot holders in the profits of the reclamation, namely that the expense of the reclamation be provided in the same way as was the expense of the Praya Reclamation, and that when the new reclamation is finished the land so reclaimed shall be valued, and the expense of reclamation being deducted, the sum mining divided equally between the Marine Lot holders and the Government as premium, the Crown rent to be the sime as on the Western Praya, but neither premium nor Crown rent to be payable for the land required for streat and Janes.
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If you accept this principle, which in the Governor's opinion is a reasonable and equitable one, His Excellency will take stapa to give the details of your schemз early and careful consi- deration.--I have the houðar to be, Sir, your most obedient servant,
The Honourable
(sd.) F. H. MAY, Acting Colonial Secretary.
C. P. CHATER, C M.G.
Hongkong, 29th September, 1990. SIE-I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 1,711 of the 13th inst. (in reply to mine of the 12th June last) in which you inform me that His Excellency the Governor has had under consideration my pro- posals for a large reclamation from the se between Arsenal Street and East Point; that he is prepared to view favorably my suggestion that the Reclamation in question should be carried out on behalf of the Marine Lot holders by the Government, bat that His Excellency is not prepared to accede to the terms embodied in my letter, as he deems them unduly favourable to the Marine Lot holders. -
GHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. Excellency is prepared to take steps for a detailed examination the scheme.
3. I have given to His Excellency's roposals very full and very careful consideration. I have gone info the figures again, so far as it is, possible to estimate them, and have obtained professional advice aul assistance in working out results. I razrat to say that after this fresh investigation, and after A detailed examination and comparison of the two Recla mation Sohomes-the Praya Reclamation now in progress and the present schem-I am unable to accept His Excellency's suggestion as to the principl› to be applial in workín s out the scheme, and I could not conscientiously recommend it for the acceptance of the Marins Lot holders in Wanchai, the position of the Marins Lot holders and the nature of their property being so to'ally different along the Eastern and Western Prayas.
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4. I admit that, as events have turned out, it would not have bɔɔn unreasonable or inequitable if some such principla had been applied to the Praya Reclamation now in progress. the Marine Lot holders and the occupants of promises there suffering little or no loss, either in the value of their holdings or in the profits of their business, during the progress of the Reclamation works, or in consequence thereof, an'l, therefore, benefiting to the full extent of the value of the reclaimed land or thereabouts; but the position in the Wanchai District is totally different. The Marine Lot holders thers must necessarily suffer enormously daring the progress of the works, and will be put to very great expense before they can make their properties pay again as Inland Lots. They will barely be repaid their losses and necessary expenditure by the value of the reclaimed land coming to them, while the Government, on behalf of the Colony, will, without runuing any risk or incurring any expenditure, derive from the scheme the enor mous profita sat forth in my first letter-the│| Treasury will pocket, from land sales alone, a lump sum of at least $637,059, and will derive an additional annual revenue of $150,571 from Crown Rents and Taxes, and the Colony, as a whole, will have added to it, free of expense, an immense additional area, laid out in streets and roads of ample width and with the very latest improvements.
2. His Excellency's suggestion is, that the expenses of the Reclamation be provided for in the same way as was the expense of the Praya Reclamation now in progress; that when the reclamation is finished, the land so reclaimed be valued; that the expanses be d ducted from such valuation and that the balance be equally divided between the Marine Lot holders and the Government You further inform me that if I am prepared to accept this proposal as the basis of any arrangement to be come to His
5. If His Excellency will amend his proposal by including in the expense of the reclamation the amount of the fair and reasonable compinsa. tion (to be assessed under Ordinance 23 of 1889 or some similar Ordinance) payable to existing Lot holders in the Wanchai District for loss of rants and business during the progress of the works and for the diminished value of their lands when converted from Marine into Inland Lots, then possibly, the principle of division of profits might be acceptable; but even then the profits to be derived by the Government from the carrying out of the Sch me, as put forward by me, would be immeasurably grater than tho e derived by the Lot holders. The Government would get what would practically be a gift--something for nothing. The Marine Lot holders would gat only a fair return on their investment.
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7. In Wanchai the state of affairs is wholly different. It never has been and never will be an important business quarter. No trading junks anchor there. No Chinese merchants or traders of any position reside and carry on their work there; only the poorer classes frequent that neighbourhood. It is only within a com paratively recent period that there has been any business there at all even for the godowns. The division of the City caused by the interposition of the Naval and Military establishments has prevented the Chinese from settling there, and the immensa expansion now in progress of the Naval Yard seaward will only emphasize the separation. The whole length of the Wanchai Praya is and always has been occupied almost entirely by godowns, and they are mainly used for the storage of coal and of the heavier and less expensive kinds of merchandise. The business of these godowns will be at once affected by the commencement of Praya reclamation works. The goods stored in them canot stand the ad- ditional expense of carriage when their accessi to the sea is impeded. Now the godowns are 50 feet from the sea wall. Then they will b3 550 feet. They will have all of them to be pulled down, and the space they now cocupy covered with Chinese houses. At present rates (and there is no prospect of any fall in prices), it will cost at the rate of $4 a foot to clear the present Marine Lots and cover them with Chinese housos equal to present sanitary requirements. The Marine Lot holdǝra assen ting to the proposed praya reclamation at Wan- chai will lose the profits of their godown busi- ness fer varying periods-some of them for three years-and to enable them to utilise their lots will have to expend on new buildings at the
ate of $4 a square foot. If the Government`- undertook this reclamation itself, as it undoubt- odly has the power to do, it could only do it by paying to the Marine Lot holders a full and fair compensation. When this compensation was paid and the net cost added to the cost of reclamation, the profit to Government on the entire reclamation would be small, especially as the Government would have to borrow money for the work and probably to remain out of it, paying interest for some considerable time. In any case it would have to take the risk of all delays and losses în realization.
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8. The Marine Lot holder who agrees to the Praya Reclamation on my scheme has, in addi- tion to finding the money for carrying it out, to (a) stand the loss of his present godown business during the progress of the work, to (b) spand $4 a fost at the least in pulling down his godowns and putting up Chinese honses in their place, to (c) spend much more in building on his reclaimed land, either godowns or dwelling houses, and lastly, to take all the risk of finding himself unable to let his new godowns and build ings at remunerative figures as speedily as he could wish. The value of the newly reclaimed land will hardly repay him for all this. The Gov- ernor's proposal would leave him out of pocket. 9. His Excellency will understand that in writing this I am expressing my own views and opinions only. have not consulted and am not now speaking as the representa- 6. The Central and Western Praya. at the tive of the Marine Lot holders. I am giving commencement of the Reclamation of 18 9, His Excellency the result of my own careful was, with one or two wholly unimportant study of the question, with the experience exceptions, all shops, stores and residences. of many years and an intimate knowledge of The principal part of the trade of the Colony the Colony and its business to justify me. was carried on along it. The whole coasting The reclamation of the Eastern Praya and the trade of the Colony centred there. The recla removal of the Hospital and Morrison Hills are matious in their progress, although causing works that in the interest of the Colony must considerable inconvenience, did not seriously be done sooner or later. The rapid expansion interfere with business along the Praya nor in of the Colony and of its business demands it. its neighbourhood, and did not interfere with Now is the time. The Colony is prosperous- the values of the properties nor with the rentals money is plentiful. The Naval Yard Extension derived from them. The residents could not almost renders imperative the doing of the work move elsewhere to carry on their business, so now. If it is completed without the reclamation. they had, parforca, to remain where they were being taken in hand, Wanchai will be placed at and make the best of it. The Marine Lot į a still greater disadvantage than ever
or and be holders, therefore, suffered no diminution of come less than ever a part of the City, to the their rentals during the progress of the reclama injury of property and property owners there. tion-the tenants" bearing whatever losses or As for the Colonial Government undertaking inconveniences there were--and now that the the task on its own account and risk I see zo reclamation is finished and their former Marine possibility of its ever being in a position to do Lots have become inland lots, the lapse of time so; so many public works of pressing importance and the steady increase in the population and are crying out for funds for their commence- in the trade and shipping of the Colony has mant or completion.—I have the honour to be, made them as valuable for purposes of sale as Sir, Your most obedient, humble Sərvant, the old Marine Lots ever were. They have,
(Signed) C. P. CHATER. therefore, all the profits derivable from the The Honourable value of the new made land.
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The COLONIAL SECRETARY.
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