188
G
like a losing proposition than it really was, and it meant that future generations were being provided with free transport at the cost of the present generation.
Mr. Bigg mentioned the related question of the comparative merits (apart from the question of competition) of railways and roads. Some people thought that no more railways should be built because road transport and air transport would be the methods of the future.
Lord Hailey said that a groundnut area or a coal area could not be developed on anything but railways.
some
He thought it would be very useful to have a factual statement of the steps that had been taken in various Colonies to establish organisations for the co-ordination of all sorts of transport Colonies had set up boards for this purpose. The various projects would be no use to the Committee unless they could get advice from people in the Colonies who had considered them in their broad aspects as development projects. If the Committee could have that
they could give the Colonies some very useful advice as to what had been done elsewhere.
It was agreed that the Sub-Committee might use r.Meyer's paper as a basis for discussion, and also that a joint meeting with the Finance Sub-Committee would be useful,
(b)
Suggestion that the Sub-Committee consider co-option.
It was agreed not to co-opt anyone permanently, but to consider the cooption of experts on particular problems as the need
arose.
30
Future Control of alayan Forts and Harbours /C.E.A.C.
(Communications) (45) 5.
The Chairman suggested that the Sub-Committee should first consider what was the right way of controlling the transportation system. Of the three main ports in Malaya, two were controlled by Dock Authorities and one by the Railways. The same system of
He did mixed control existed in this and many other countries.
it was not think that the question of relative efficiency arose: a question of what was the best set-up in the national interest.
Lord Hailey pointed out that, of the three main ports, Port Swettenham was largely concerned with domestic trade, and the other two with the inter-communication trade. Singapore was an open entry port to the Far East and practically a free port. Shipping companies were very greatly concerned with the management of such ports. In India the system of Boards was favoured for two reasons: Firstly, because a Board was really a trust, raising its own money, and its finances were therefore separate from those of the railway thus making development easier; secondly, it was able to give representation to wider interests.
The Chairman said that the Comittee had hitherto felt that they should be purticularly careful in dealing with the first of any
Did the kind of case because it might be creating a precedent. Colonial Office wish the Sub-Committee to consider this question just from the Malayan point of view or was there any question of setting a pattern for other Colonies?
Mr.Caine agreed that the Colonial Office looked to the Economic Advisory Committee for advice which took account of wider considerations than the particular circumstances of
individual
3