Yes,
+ thus
elsewhere would probably be headed by a specialist, the pressures of the official hierarchy do tend to mute the performance of heads of departments. When Hong Kong has had, as the last seven years, a Governor who has served in a wide range of subordinate posts in the Colony, there is also a tendency for the Governor to tell his subordinates what to do rather than seek
their advice - I say this in no criticism of Sir D. Trench since I am only too conscious of my own tendency for similar reasons to do the same in Dependent Territories work in the office here! But I have been struck during the three or four Governor's Friday meetings which I have attended in Hong Kong by the absence of cut- and-thrust that marks the PUS's morning meetings here (the only "cut-and-thrusters" tended to be the GOC and the CS) or my own meetings with Heads of Departments. But the Friday meeting which
deals with security questions is an example of a regular "panchayat" between the Governor and one group of senior officials. the best way would be to supplement it by a similar regular "panchayat"
Perhaps
feah on "domestic affairs" at which the heads of the major departments
other'
would be attenders as of right.
piranti.
M.
Ka
Incidentally (para 10) my proposal was not for an "entirely unofficial membership of Leg.Co." One could not dispense with a minimum official representation of Colonial Secretary (as chief government spokesman). F.S. (to carry through the Budget and other financial legislation which should only be introduced for the Government Bench) and the A.G. I suggested replacing the official majority by a Governor's reserve legislative power - as has been done elsewhere both of which constitutionally serve the same purpose of ensuring that legislation which Government (HMG or HK) regard as
essential will find its way to the statute book and that undesirable legislation will not. This would allow a wider representation of unofficial interests without the necessity of balancing them by
new official members and could also allow the removal of some or all
of e.g. Commissioner of Labour, Director of Urban Services, DPW, D/E or DSW. But unless some other way of N.T. representation were devised the DCNT should probably be a member and there is a case too for the Secretary for Home Affairs. Such a change would add to the burden of the C.S. but would enhance his status (the last
sentence of your para 11 refers).
/Para 12.