Appendix I.
Appendix II.
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(2) Before hostilities ceased and prior to the re-establishment of Civil Government in Hong Kong, arrangements were made in London on the assumption that the creation of a Port Trust as outlined by the late Sir David Owen, would form part of the programme of work to be carried out in the course of rehabilitating the Colony. Mr. C. J. Colman, then Director General of Ports and Navigation, Iraq, and previously for many years a principal officer of the Calcutta Port Trust, was engaged for a short term to set up the proposed Port Trust, and a Hong Kong Port Consultative Committee was convened in London to advise the Secretary of State on matters concerning the carrying into effect of the late Sir David Owen's proposals. The London Committee concluded its work on the 17th April, 1946, by considering and commenting on a draft Port Trust Ordinance which Mr. Colman had prepared, as by that time the Civil Government was about to be restored in Hong Kong.
(3) In June of this year the Secretary of State for the Colonies intimated that in view of the changes which had occurred in the lapse of time since the Owen Report had been considered by the Executive Council, reconsideration of the main proposal for the creation of a Port Trust appeared to be necessary. The Secretary of State pointed out that the importance of the Port in the Colony's economy, the social and political adjust- ments necessitated by the war and the constitutional changes which are now under con- sideration, clearly made it desirable that all practicable methods of control and operation of the Port should be thoroughly investigated before any decisive step is taken. It was these circumstances which lead to our appointment and our terms of reference called for an investigation on the lines suggested by the Secretary of State for the Colonies.
5. Method of conducting the Inquiry.
(1) The Committee met on seven occasions and the procedure described in the following paragraphs was adopted in order to arrive at our recommendations.
(2) The Committee considered the Owen Report, the proceedings of the London Con- sultative Committee, various reports submitted by Mr. James Jolly, C.B.E., Harbour Master, and Mr. Andrew Nicol, A.M.I.C.E., the Executive Engineer, Port Works Office, Public Works Department, at the time the Owen Report was prepared, and the draft Port Trust Ordinance prepared by Mr. Colman. Copies of these papers were furnished to all members of the Committee and, with the exception of the Port Trust Ordinance, are appended to this Report as Appendix I.
(3) Although the Committee comprised a number of members qualified to express the views of shipping and other interests likely to be affected by changes in the form of the administration of the Port, the Committee felt it was desirable that the public should be informed of the Inquiry and its scope and that any persons wishing to represent the views of sections of the community likely to be affected, should be invited to make their view known to the Committee. Accordingly an invitation in that behalf was published in both the Chinese and English Press on the 15th September, 1946.
No member of the public responded to this invitation.
Press comment was limited to a leading article in the China Mail on the 19th September, 1946, and an article in the Far Eastern Economic Review of the 23rd October, 1946.
The former expressed the view that better arrangements than the "haphazard methods" which existed in the past were essential if Hong Kong was to develop to its fullest potentialities; the latter expressed the opinion that a Port Authority or Trust as recommended by Sir David appeared to be too heavy and that the development of a separate staff with its consequential additional expense might, especially with regard to the possible future establishment of a Municipal Council, lead to duplication of services. The writer considered that there was room for tightening up of co-ordination, responsibility and initiative under a Harbour Master without jeopardizing the advantages of private enter- prise, cheapness and efficiency.
(4) The Committee also decided to send individual invitations accompanied by copies of the Owen Report and the Committee's terms of reference to a number of people chosen either because they were representative of concerns likely to be affected by changes in port administration or were persons whom it was believed had opinions which they might desire the Committee to consider.
A list of the 48 addressees of the individual invitations is attached as Appendix II. Twenty-six letters were received submitting representations for consideration by the Appendix III. Committee. Copies of the representations received are to be found in Appendix III.
A brief summary of the points of view put forward in these representations is given in paragraphs 8 and 11.
(5) Mr. Colman was in attendance at meetings of the Committee while information was being gathered and representations were being considered and he addressed the Committee on two occasions, "firstly to outline the characteristics and merits of the Port Trust form of administration and secondly, to suggest alternative forms of administration in the event of a Port Trust not being formed.