Allen!
Blayong
319
Σ
1. Please refer to my minute of 18/5 which explains the background of this case. As therein proposed we wrote to the Ministry of Transport as at (2).
2.
3.
Their reply is at (5).
In (6) on the 1947 file we raised 4 points for the Governor's consideration:-
(a)
Should not the Chairman of the Committee
be a senior official of the Secretariat?
(b)
a
We should like to see the second Chinese
member
(c) We should like to see included a
representative of labour interests
4.
(d) The Harbour Master should be relieved
of his duties as a Marine Magistrate. The Governor's reply in (1) on these points and the comments of the Ministry of Transport's representative, Mr. Allen, in
the two enclosures to (5) are as follows:-
(a) It would be difficult to spare a senior
(b)
officer from the Secretariat. The Governor advises therefore that election of a Chairman by the members of the Committee should continue. Mr. Allen agrees that, failing the possibility of making the Colonial Secretary Chairman (and this is pretty well impossible), the elected principle is best.
The Chinese Chamber of Commerce has said that it does not want a second member.
The Governor therefore thinks thatwe should not press for this, but is prepared to re-open the matter if the Chinese Chamber asks him to do so. Mr. Allen has no comments on of note.
(c) The Governor says this proposal has his sympathy, but is difficult to apply in practice, mainly because of language difficulty. He suggests that the Port Committee should be asked to consider adding Mr. Baker of the Labour Department to their number to hold a watching brief for labour. This is to be a temporary measure until the Trade Unions are sufficiently developed to have direct representation.
Mr. Barltrop agreed with this suggestion (vide his minute of 23/4).
Mr. Allen