CO537-1651 — Page 117

- 9.

(g) To the foregoing qualifications must be added the

ability to speak, read and write the English language..

(See paragraph 21 as to the language of the Council).

There is practical unanimity of opinion that the term of

office of a Councillor, whether elected or nominated, should be three

years, and that Councillors should be eligible for re-election or

18.

re-appointment.

With this I agree.

Moreover

There is some divergence of opinion as to whether all the

Councillors should retire in a body every third year or whether one third

of the Councillors should retire each year. It has been observed

that if Councillors are required to retire in a body there might be

too marked a lack of continuity. I feel that this objection is

overcome by the fact that a proportion of the retiring Councillors

would in all probability be re-elected or re-appointed.

the revision of electoral rolls and the holding of elections every

year would be extremely costly and would make heavy demands on the

Council's staff, while the preservation of the desired balance between

races and nationalities would be somewhat difficult if one third of the

Councillors retired each year. I am therefore of the opinion that the

Councillors should retire in a body every third year.

19.

ר

Although in some responsible quarters the opinion has been

expressed that the Chairman of the Council should be appointed by the Governor, the more general opinion is that the Council should elect its own Chairman (or Mayor) and Vice-Chairman (or Deputy Mayor) from

amongst its own members, I agree that the Chairman and Vice-Chairman

should be so elected, and I consider that they should hold office for

one year and should be eligible for re-election.

20.

Opinion is almost unanimously against the payment of ordinary

members of the Council, but it is generally felt that the work of the Council will make such heavy demands on the Chairman's time that the Council should have power to vote either a salary or an allowance

which would serve to commensate him to some extent.

I agree with this

view.