No
SECRET:
16
?2711
18
35
-8DEC 1930
(..
GOVERNMENT HOUSE.
HONGKONG. 5th November, 1930.
My Lord,
I have the honour to acknowledge the
receipt of Your Lordship's secret despatch of the
16th of September, 1930, on the subject of the control
of public utility companies in Hong Kong.
2. From the point of view of defence or
public safety, and particularly in the matter of a
political strike or boycott, the existing public
utility companies perform all the important duties
which need be contemplated in such an emergency.
Any legislative action which would affect only
companies to be formed in the future would therefore in
my opinion be of little value.
3.
1 accordingly incline to the view that
in preference to legislation this Government might
with greater advantage declare in some way its policy of giving contracts, licences, privileges and
facilities under existing or future monopoly Ordinances only to such companies as would undertake to maintain in their directorate, management and staff such a
British element as should in the opinion of the
Government
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
LORD PASSFIELD,
&c.
&C.
&c.