8.
There are no doubt plenty of variants of these
two alternative proposals, but the proposals as they
stand serve to show the main issue which the
Comittee will have to face if it finally comes to the
conclusion (1) that in pr sent circumstances the Young
Plan for a municipality ought to be dropped and (2)
that in view of the Government's commitments a mere
drop ing of the municipal idea, even if accompanied
by elected members on the Leg. Co., will not suffice.
Responsbility for carrying on the normal local
government services must be placed definitely on the
shoulders of some person or cor orate body. If a..
a road is negligently cons trusted and an accident
results, somebody must be answerable and in the last
resort be liable in damages, and this must
presumably be either the Crown in the person of the
Governor or some body established for the purpose,
If it is to be the Crown, then some or a 1 of the
members of the Leg. Co, might be invited to advise
the Crown in the conduct of the service. If it is to
be some ad hoc body, then the body, whether or not it
consists of members of the Leg. Co., must be clothed
with the necess ry powers and resources including a
corporate existence. There seems to be no half-way
house,
9.
An easier alternative than either of the two
proposals discussed above might be to adopt what
seems to be broadly the "c urter-plan" formulated after
publication of the Young Plan by certain unofficial
bodies, that is, to reconstitute the Leg. Co. on an
elective basis (but on a British nationality franchise)
and to postpone the question of establishing a
municipal body until alter that is achieved,
But
unless it was made abundantly clear at the outset that
the municipal body was (in contrast to the Young
/proposals)