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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Will those in favour of the amended schedule please raise their hands.
MR. SALES: The amended motion as amended, that is what we are voting on?
CHAIRMAN: -Yes.
Motion carried.
MR. SALES: Now Sir, before you put the main motion as now amended, I would like to reserve my position as to the remarks which you made in welcoming the appointment of two lady members as Chairmen of our Select Committees. I have always advocated the cause of the fair sex in this Council, but there are times, Sir, when I must qualify my championing of their cause. I would like to see how well our lady members perform before I would subscribe to this policy being made permanent in the Council. So with these words, and offering at the same time a warning to my fellow male members of this Council, I would support the motion.
DR. BELL:—Mr. Chairman, on a point of clarification. I don't think that any lady Member, or even a male Member on this Council, would presume to come anywhere near the competence and speed with which MR. SALES can chair a meeting. (Laughter).
MR. SALES: Sir, the lady members could at least try to emulate the example set by the male members of the Council.
CHAIRMAN: Mr. BERNACCHI has reminded me that I must also put to Members his first amendment.
If Members will refer to their copy of the Resolution which I am to move, they will see under sub-paragraph (ii) that "Under Standing Order 22(6) that the Chairman of each Select Committee shall be as set out in the first column of the attached Schedule for the period up to the commencement of the first meeting of the Urban Council in April, 1967." MR. BERNACCHI has moved, and it has been seconded, that that paragraph shall end with the words "1967”.
I will now put that to the meeting.
Motion carried.
MR. BERNACCHI: Mr. Chairman, it has been pointed out to me by the gentlemen sitting on my right and on my left, that the same amendment is necessary in paragraph (i).
CHAIRMAN: I wouldn't have thought that was necessary.
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MR. SALES: No, that is not necessary. Sir, I suggest that amendment to the first paragraph is not necessary. In point of fact the first paragraph is correct in the text that is put before us. It is only in the second paragraph, because if a person loses his membership of a Select Committee he must necessarily lose the chairmanship as well. But his membership of the Select Committee is limited to the time in which he is a Member of this Council. This takes into account the lapse of time between 31st March and the first meeting of the Urban Council in April, 1967. That is the purpose of the names being spelled out in this motion.
MR. BERNACCHI: Surely my argument applies in equal force, or nearly equal force, to paragraph (1), that any Member of this Council could lose his seat for a variety of reasons, and it goes without saying that no, it doesn't go without saying of course (Laughter).
MR. SALES: It doesn't go without saying, because at this time we know for sure that they will not be members of the Urban Council unless re-elected on the 31st March, whereas we would not know whether any person intended to resign or otherwise leave this world. (Laughter).
MR. BERNACCHI: But my point being that it is such a short period, that if they stand and are re-elected then surely they naturally continue. If they do not stand, or if they are not re-elected, then the fact that they are still members of these Select Committees is immaterial, because of the shortage of time.
MR. SALES: Sir, may I point out to MR. BERNACCHI that whether these elected members are re-elected or not before the 31st March, their membership ceases on 31st March. His Excellency the Governor has to re-appoint them for a term of four years upon the results of the elections held before that date, so their new term is not continuous. Their term comes after the expiry of their present four-year period in the Council. This is an important point, and so as not to delay this matter further I suggest that we let sleeping dogs lie, and leave the text of the first paragraph as it is, otherwise we would be compelled to vote against the amendment.
CHAIRMAN: May I therefore propose that the original motion with the two amendments by MR. BERNACCHI—the second itself amended—which have been accepted, be now put.
Motion carried.
DEPARTURE ON LEAVE OF MR. D. C. BARTY.
CHAIRMAN: —Before closing there is one matter which I wish to mention. MR. BARTY is due to proceed on leave for six weeks on