}
and New Territories.
(a) I take the view that municipal and local
government ought not to be abolished but
(e)
(f)
1
some clearly defined "urban" authority should
function, and when the time is ripe that
"rural" bodies should be brought into being
in the country districts alongside the
administrative officers. It may be that the
existing local government arrangements are clear
enough but let us define their function and
to what precisely it is that will be dealt with
by the Central Government. I am not clear that
bodies already exist, who for example controls
water pollution, power, the harbour, and so on
} or whether there is advantage in having one or
more urban authorities.
!
1
I am concerned that there should be no further
loss of time in regard to the constitution
arrangements. The Governor, on the other
hand, should tell us if our new emphasis
is sound. But I am conscious of the difficulty
in the way of liberalising institutions
if the Kuomintang is so strongly entrenched and became
Į
irview of the effect of apathy on the working
of political institutions. We have, however, to
put ourselves in a strong position vis-a-vis F
our critics both the Pacific Powers, the
Chinese, and liberals of U.S. A. The sooner,
-
too, we can get a statement of Government
policy as to the future status of Hong Kong
the better.
I am concerned also about our critics here.
We must do all we can to get our plans
}
}
completed