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Ministry of Transport an opportunity of commenting on the recommendations before a final decision is taken. The Governor was, in fact, asked in the Secretary of State's telegram of the 6th June (No.3) to keep us closely in touch with all' important developments as the Secretary of State wished to have the advice of the other interested Departments about any substantial change of the plans which existed then and which were, of course, for the creation of a Port Trust.
In the circumstances, I think that our best plan will be to write to the Ministry of Transport and the Admiralty with reference to our previous correspondence with them relating to the proposal to set up a Port Trust, giving them the substance of the first four paragraphs of the Secretary of State's telegram of the 6th June (No.3), enclosing a copy of the Governor's confidential despatch of the 11th December, together with a memorandum containing the Committee's conclusions and recommendations, and saying that the Secretary of State would be grateful for any comments they may have on the recommendations, discussed in paragraphs 4 and 5 of the Governor's despatch relating to the abandonment of the proposal for a Port Trust and the establishment of a Port Committee. If my views at X and Y above are agreed here, we should say in the letter that we propose to make these points in replying to the Governor.
I recommend, therefore, that we should proceed as proposed above in regard to the recommendations of the Committee concerning the Port Trust and the Port Committee, sending copies of our letters to the Ministry of Transport and the Admiralty to the Governor, for his information, and that the file should then be recirculated for consideration of the recommendation in sub-paragraph (i) of paragraph 15 of the Committee's report relating to the magisterial duties of the Harbour Master and the other recommendations in that paragraph which the Governor does not deal with in his despatch. The Governor's further despatch at No.16 can be considered at the same time.
When we do reply to the Governor's
confidential despatch of the 11th December, I agree that we should express appreciation of the services rendered by the Committee.
by Mayla
7.2.47.