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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
there is hardly any need to proceed to a division. I will gladly accede to the proposer's wish to confer with his colleagues on this matter. (Applause).
The Unofficial members then retired.
Upon Council resuming,
HON. MR. M. K. LO.-May I, Sir, thank the Hon. Colonial Secretary for his very able and comprehensive statement and my Hon. Friend, Dr. Wellington. It is impossible to reply to such a lengthy statement at a moment's notice, but I hope the Honourable Colonial Secretary will forgive me if I say frankly that I am not myself convinced that everything has been done to effect retrenchment in all directions during the past few years. We are very grateful to Your Excellency for what you have said and I am personally grateful to Your Excellency for your comments and the spirit in which you have accepted and considered my motion.
But the object of this motion is not so much to criticise what has been done in the past, as to focus with as concentrated a light as possible on the danger signals disclosed by the present, and pointing ominously to the future.
That the Civil Establishment is overstaffed is the general impression of the public, is the conviction of the Unofficial Members and is, I believe, conceded by a substantial number of the Civil Servants themselves.
The idea of the motion is to record our views of the present so that they will serve as a useful reminder. I submit that only a frank recognition and acceptance of this view can constitute the impelling determination to effect all possible retrenchments, and for this reason I must press for a division.
The motion was put to the meeting and defeated by nine votes to six.
H.E. THE GOVERNOR.-You have abstained, Mr. Braga?
HON. MR. J. P. BRAGA.-I am abstaining from voting for the reasons I now explain. My reasons are that the statements from Government have been so satisfactory in giving a frank and candid expression of opinion on the criticisms that have been advanced on the subject of the necessity for retrenchment. Further, the under- taking on the part of the Government to consider retrenchment in the future is to my mind satisfactory, and is in support of the very spirit of the resolution proposed on behalf of the Unofficial Members.
HON. SIR HENRY POLLOCK.-I would like to mention, Your Excellency, that although the Hon. Dr. Ts'o is not present he is in general sympathy with the motion.
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