CONFIDENTIAL
Mr. Herries is the nominee of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce. Since the last century there have been two "closed" seats on the
Council which have been filled by a nominee of the Chamber and a nominee of the Justices of the Peace (as a body).
10. In place of the above four members the Governor recommends
the appointment of:
K. S. Lo
0. Cheung
T. K. Ann
G. M. B. Salmon
(a business man)
(a barrister)
(a textile industrialist)
(the likely nominee of the Chamber of
Commerce in place of Mr. Herries)
The Governor gives (in paragraphs 22-25 of his letter) his reasons for proposing these appointments and I see no grounds for disagreeing with them. Details of Mr. Salmon's career are given on page 224 of the "Hong Kong Album" for 1969-70, a copy of which is attached.
11.
In the case of all the remaining nine unofficial members, the
Governor recommends re appointment, although he expresses a degree of doubt in three cases (Messrs. P. C. Woo, S. Y. Chung and W. Wong). Again, I do not think that we are in a position to query his recommendations.
12.
Term of Reappointment: The Governor recommends a period of eighteen months both for the reappointment of existing members and for the appointment of new members. This would mean that the members would continue in office until December, 1971; and this would give the next Governor a period of some two and a half months after his assumption of office in which to make up his own mind about the future membership of the Council. There would be little point in deciding upon a shorter period for the purpose, since we should then be faced with the problem of having to make further appointments or reappointments shortly before the new Governor
assumed office.
13. I accordingly recommend that the Governor's proposals for the reappointment of existing members, for the appointment of new members, and for the period of appointment of all concerned, be
accepted.
29 June, 1970
Rario
(E. Ŏ. Laird)
Hong Kong Department
CONFIDENTIAL