CO537-1651 — Page 123

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The Chinese Chamber of Commerce

The Recognized Trade Unions.

The University of Hong Kong

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The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce

The Hong Kong Residents Association

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1 Chinese

2 Chinese

1 Chinese

2 non-Chinese.

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1 non-Chinese

The Kowloon Residents Association

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1 non-Chinese

The Unofficial Justices of the Peace

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1 Chinese and

1 non-Chinese.

It has been suggested from more than one-quarter that the power of

appointing some of the nominated members should be assigned to the

Governor and that this power should be exercised after the result of

the elections and of the nominations by public bodies has been ascertained,

in order that inequalities may be redressed in favour of any section

of the community which has failed to secure adequate representation.

I am inclined to think that this is not necessary, and if this is so it

would clearly be a flaw in the system to insert an unessential provision

which could be regarded as detracting from the principle of true and

direct representation. But I think it should be provided that if any

of these bodies fails to nominate by the appointed date a person or

persons who are properly qualified for membership of the Council the

power to appoint shall be transferred to the Governor.

It might also be desirable to refrain from designating the

nominating bodies in the statutory provisions constituting the Council

and to provide that they should be selected by the Governor-in-Council

who would be empowered to vary them from time to time as changed

circumstances might require.

The due representation of the working classes presents a

most difficult problem. We have no system of registration resembling

that of national registration in the United Kingdom, and this fact

combined with the impermanence of residence among the working classes

and the fact that the majority occupy cubicles rented from, the tenant

of a floor who is himself the under-tenant of the principal tenant of

the house, makes it impossible to devise any "householder" qualification

which would enable the working classes to be enrolled in the electoral

register and at the same time exclude the possibility of widespread

personation.

I therefore regard the power of nomination by the Trade

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