7 FEBRUARY 1920 Colonial Secretary’s Office Hong Kong. 14th. February 1920. No. 496/1019. JOHNSON, STOKES & MASTER. Solicitors and Notaries. Prince’s Buildings, Ice House Street, Hong Kong. The Hon. The Colonial Secretary. Sir, We have the honour to inform you that we are acting for Mons. Charles E. Ricou of Macao and Hong Kong, who is about to form a Company to be called “The Macao (Canton and Hong Kong) Aerial Transport Company Ltd.” to establish, maintain and work lines of aerial conveyances by Seaplane between Macao, Canton and Hong Kong and possibly between those places and Shanghai via Swatow, Amoy and Foochow. It is intended that the Seaplanes should carry passengers, cargo and mails, the latter under conditions (so far as Hong Kong is concerned) to be imposed by your Government. The Company will be a public company registered under the Companies Ordinances of Hong Kong and will have a capital of $50,000 divided into 5,000 shares of $10 each. Messrs. C.E. Ricou and Co. will be the General Managers and will subscribe half the Capital - the remainder of the capital will be offered to the public for subscription. We are informed that Mons. Ricou had a tentative interview with the Assistant Colonial Secretary in December last, and understood that it might be possible for your Government to grant permission to a Company to be formed by him to operate seaplanes between the places indicated provided the Naval Authorities had no objection to the project, and he accordingly approached the Commodore and understood that the Naval Authorities would have no objection to the Seaplanes landing in and departing from the waters of the Colony. Our Client has now instructed us to request your Government to give him and the Company permission to operate Seaplanes in and from the Colony of Hong Kong with permission to land in the waters of the Colony and to depart from such waters; also for permission to carry passengers, cargo and mails on such seaplanes, and he would wish to know under what conditions mails would be allowed to be carried by him from Hong Kong to the places indicated above and from the places indicated above to Hong Kong. A Curtis Seaplane is about to arrive in the Colony on board the S.S. “Korea Maru” on the 10th instant. Mons. Ricou wishes to take delivery of it in Hong Kong from that steamer and to fly it from Hong Kong to Macao. He will be glad if he may have the Import permit to import the Seaplane with permission to fly the Seaplane from Hong Kong to Macao and vice versa in experimental flights. We have, etc., (Signed) Johnson, Stokes and Master.
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