COPY
Ref: 487/8/RD/DA.
P.0.BOX. 369.
HONG KONG.
5th June, 1948.
30
Dear Millbourn,
1. Thank you for your letter of 26th May about Despatch No. 59 from the Governor of Hong Kong about the Port Committee. I have discussed this subject from time to time with both officials and businessmen here, and am familiar with the views of both.
2. The unofficial members of the Port Committee have constantly urged that the Chairmanship of the Committee should be elected from amongst the members. Their approach may, I think, be described as follows. They consider that a Committee of this kind, dealing with what is the most important facility in the whole colony, should be presided over by the Colonial Secretary in person. They realise that in practice the Colonial Secretar could not find the time for this additional commitment, and that he would have to depute the task to a subordinate in the Secretariat. They are by no means so keen on having a subordinate as Chairman. Under these circumstances they prefer to have as a Chairman someone who, though not necessarily carrying the same weight in the colony, has a thorough knowledge of the Port. They are quite content with Jolly, the present Director of Marine, as Chairman, because he is scrupulously fair and helpful, although he is not a naturally good Chairman, but they recall that his pre-war predecessor as Harbour Master (as it was then called) was obstructive and difficult, and they do not want the risk, when Jolly leaves, of being faced with a situation where the ex-officio chairman is a man with whom they cannot deal. They are therefore keen on the elective principle as a protection against potential dangers but it may be taken as pretty well certain that for the time being, while Jolly remains Director of Marine, he will be re-elected annually Chairman of the Port Committee. He has been re-elected for this year.
3. Personally I regard this reasoning as sound, and would support the elective principle unless the post were made, as I am inclined to think it should be, an ex-officio function of the Colonial Secretary in person. After all the Port is the Colony; Hong Kong would survive if there were no cotton mills and no social welfare; it would cease to exist, if the Port broke down.
P.E.Millbourn, Esq. Ministry of Transport.
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