OY
actual Councillors relatively small and building up the Committees by the
co-option of persons who are not members of the Council. I do not favour
the suggestion that persons outside the Council should be co-opted to the
Council's Committees. am doubtful whether suitable non-members would
come forward and, even if they did so, they would lack the prestige of
Councillors and this very lack of prestige by the individuals might in the
public mind detract from the prestige of the Committees themselves.
The
case against any very substantial reduction in the numbers is, I think,
strengthened by the fact that in its early days the Council will necessarily
comprise many who have little or no experience of local Government in any
form. Thus the number of experienced men for service on Committees is
likely to be extremely limited and the best for which one can hope is that
there will be a sufficient number to act as mentors for the inexperienced
members.
Nevertheless I recognize the force of the argument that a
Council consisting of forty-eight members would be unwieldy, and that it is
essential to aim at workability'. I have in mind also the consideration
that if the original Council consists of a number which proves to be
unmanageable it will be difficult to make any reduction, whereas if it
proves desirable to increase the numbers after the Council has gained
experience and essumed its full functions, an alteration in this direction
should present no great difficulty. On these grounds my revised
recommendation is that the Council should consist of thirty members.
15. As was to be expected there have been some divergences of views
as to the proportion in which the different races should be represented.
My original proposal was that the Council should represent the Chinese and
the non-Chinese communities in e qual proportions. I am glad to say that
this view has met with a considerable measure of agreement. Suggestions
have been made that in view of the fact that the Chinese constitute ninety
eight per cent of the population they should fill a much higher proportion
of the seats in the Council. On the other hand it has been proposed that
the non-Chinese should be in the majority. It is of interest to note
that the exponents of these two differing views have been by no means