28, 1903.1
did not seem to him that it dimonit lɔ And a better site, for enient one than the present could ound anywhere. He believed that not mercantile community but the Colonial and the military were dead against remaining where they were, so if it else the present agitation would n the hands of the authorities all Under these circumstances. it seemed to be the bounden duty of the commu. make a strong and determined effort get the Dookyard removed from the centre of the city. This was only a preliminary meeting, and his idea was that the Chairman should simply take the sense of the meeting or against the prop sal, and then, if they were as he felt sure they would be unanimously in favour of agitating for the removal of the dockyaid, they should elect a Committee of representative men to decide further action-either by forwarding petition to the Home Government or by holding a public mesting to concentrate public opinion. Whatever they decided to do must be done quickly and heartily, Sir Paul Chater was with them, and had, he believed, a complete cheme ready to meet all the objection that might be raised by supporters of the present site, and he knew that their friend, Mr. William Danby, had all the details of this matter at his fingers' ends. This agitation might be a forlorn hope, though he did not think so; but anyhow let them go forward bravely with it, and if it be a forlorn hope, may it end as many forlorn hopes in oar country's history had ended, by carrying everything before it. (Applauso.)
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Dook from where it is now to some other place. Tho pabllo were beginning now to realise what a vital obstacle the Dook would be to the growth of the Colony if it was allowed to remain the Committe where it is now, and they had spontaneously would go into arranged that a meeting should be called to like to get 1 discuss the question; and although only two matter. Bin F days' notios was given, at this meeting no lees If this Dock in to | thin-in. fact rather more than 100 gentle-where will it be
men assembled, representing almost the whole three sites they b of the commercial and shipping interests of the of the Committee Colony, and decided unanimously that a petition schemes to place. should be drawn up and forwarded to the Rt. Hon, the Secretary of State through His Excellency's kind offices, and, it was hoped by the Committee, with His Excellency's support. The meeting not only decided that a petition should be drawn up and forwarded but that as soon as it was ready and handed to His Excellency, he should be asked to wire the substanca of the petition to the Secretary of Etate. The reason for that was that there had Leen rumours for some time of differences exist ing between the naval and military authorities with regard to certain land connected with the Dock scheme. He understood also that it was likely that a Royal Commission might be appointed to investigate these matters and their object in asking His Excellency to telegraph the substance of the petition home was that in case the Commission was about to be appointed its scope might be extended sq as to not only arrange matters between the Colonial Office, the War Offico and the Navy but also to go into the question of the removal of the Dook from its present po ition to some where else. The Committee before proceeding to do anything on the subject decided to report to His Excellency exactly what had happened and see if he would help them in any way with regard to the drawing up of the peti. tion. That was as far as they had gone. With regard to the obstacle that the Dock would be to the growth of the Colony, that was as well known to His Excellency as to the public here. The growth of the Colony eastwards had been stopped for many years, and would continue to be in that position; even although the tram- lines were going to be started, still he felt certain that the growth would not be anything like what it ought to be. He might point out that from Messrs. Butterfield At a meeting of the Committee which was
& Swire's offices there was a mile or a mile held at the conclusion of the general meet- and a half westwards where the land varied in ing, it was decided to ask His Excellency the value from 825 up to 845 per square foot. Governor to consent to receive a deputation From Butterfield & Swire's offices this great from the Committee for the purpose of an inter- Dock ran along to Arsenal Street, the very change of views being effected. Sir Paul first blook after that had been ught by the Chater, C.M.G., was then chosen as Chairman Navy, with huge buildings on the land, at about of the Commi tee and Mr. H. E. Pollock, K.C., $6 per foot. That in itself would show how ás Honorary Secretary, and a sub-Committee this tremendous break-this great line of was appointed from the General Committee, demarcation, so to speak, between the East and Then it consisting of the Chairman and Messrs. R. the West-was affecting the East: Shewan, G. Stewart, W. Poate and E. A. had been well known to most people that Hewett, and the Hon. Secretary, for the par-
there was one great objection which had been pose of drawing up a petition for presentation felt once before and would be felt agaiu as to the Secretary of State for the Colonies the Dock went on. Probably His Excellency upon the subject of the removal of the would remember a case bronght forward in the { Admiralty dook from its present site. Police Court by a resident in Macdonnell Road in was also resolved to telegraph homesum-respect of a nuisance. What was the nuis noe? mary of that petition. It was further resolved The nuisance was the noise made by a steam- that the Committee would defray any expenses hammer used for driving piles at the Naval which might be incurred in connection with the Yard Extension. If that was a nuisance, how prosecntion of the attempt to endeavour to much more would it be when the Dock was persuade the authorities to consent to the working there fully ? On a summer's night it removal of the new Admiralty dock from its would be almost unbearable. present site.
On the motion of the Hon. B. SHEWAN, seconded by Mr. Justice WISE, the following gentlemen were then elected on a Committee for the purpose of bringing the views of the public in this matter before the proper authorities :-
Bir P. Chater (Chairman), Hon. C. W. Dickson, Messrs. W. Poate, J. K. M. Smith, T. P. Cochrane, H. E. Pollock, E. A. Hewett, W. Danby, A. G. Wood, Hon. G. Stewart, Hon. Ho Kai, Messrs. 11. N. Mody, D. E. Brown, E. W. Mitchell, Hon. R. Showan, Messrs. H. E. Tomkins, G. Forbes, G. H. Medhurst, G. Ballook, and J. H. Lewis.
DEPUTATION TO THE GOVERNOR.
It
HE. the Governor Sir Henry A. Blake, G.C.M.G., on Thursday received a deputation from the community with reference to the pro- posed removal of the Admiralty Dock from its present position. The interview took placein the Council Chamber, His Excellency being accom panied by Hon. F.. H. May, C.M.G., Colonial Becretary, The deputation was as follows:- Bir C. P. Chater (Chairman), Hou. C. W. Dickson, Messrä. W. Posto, J. R. M. Smith, T P. Coolrane, H. E. Pollock, E. A. Hewett, W. Danby, A. G. Wood, Hon. G. Stewart, Messrs. D. E. Brown, E. W. Mitchell, Hon. B. Shewan, Mers" H. E. Tomkins, A. Forbes, G: Balloch, and J. H. Lewis.
Sir PAUL CHATE addressing His Excel
**mid be proposed to lay before him what ed happened with regard to the removal of the
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HIS EXCELLENCY—I think that was found not to be a nuisance.
Sir PAUL CHATER~No, sir; it was not found not to be a nuisance. But the case was withdrawn because, I think, the gentleman who brought it forward was a foreigner.
HIS EXCELLANCY—I do not think that can be entered into at all anyway. I remember the case perfectly.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-If he had chosen to push his oise I have no doubt he would have got a conviction, but he withdrew it.
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be appointed or before the Commission came out advantages of these sites I hat, he thought, could They could give the and better sites in every all that was wanted with frontag. Then probably His ask, and a good many people mig ask: What about the expense that have gone into? They had thought of that. If he was rightly informed, he believed that th Nary so far had expanded £250,000 to The land which «t-e Navya and which they would like to the War Office was worth a lột He thought that some two gave the Goverdor aŭ estim ite: and he had no reason now to alter If anything, he thought it was more. If two of the sites that they propos offer to the Navy were accepted then the Colo would have to give these sites-they mostly to the Government with perhaps two small resumptions-and they get in turn what the Navy now plus what is wanted from the Military. If they got that they could then afford to compensate the Navy perhaps for the expense they had incurred; but this amount, some of £250,000 or £300,000, although exponded w.s not lost, because suppose they took any one of o'her sites and went on with the Dook schem all the blocks and the timber for the confe could be again used The reclamation which had been done would come in useful for them for the continuation of the Praya; and the road having been widened to 75 feet that would also make the land there more valuable. fore as far as compensation was concernes there was no doubt in his mind that somd arrangement could be arrived at; and what would be a most important thing to do would be, he thought, to push on the appointment of this Commission and not only that but to give them the additional scope of going into this question of the removal of the Dook to some other site. He had been treminded that probably His Excellency would recollect that actions: had b. en taken by residents in Morrison Hill Roads close by there, agalust people for working iron workshops on the Prays and Queen's Road, East, and he believed the Government had also given notice to these people that that nuisance must be stopped. Well if that was a nuisanos, distant as it was from Queen's Road to Morri son Hill, surely a Dook right in fron Harbour and working at night terrible nuisance sil the way up los almost. In fact he believed that where Justics Goodman was living now nuisance was going on the noiss right up there. That was the gros And not only that. The military, building huge barracks, ́married hospital and so on, all along Kem There it would be found nuisance if the Dook
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it would be almost unbe the facts they had before the Committee would no petition." They had thong His Excellency of plios these facts Excellency mig pétition, might enabling them to | (Applanes.)
HIS EXCELL of the deputa
Hou. 1. SHI
Sir Paul Chathe, continuing, said that at any rate the case was withdrawn and that was how the thing was closed. However, he might tell His Excellency that if this Dook was to be built where it is, the houses on Kennedy which Road, Macdonnell Road and Bowen Road 'tion would be absolutely uninhabitable. It would ce be impossible for people to live in theso houses. Why, he thought Government House and
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