CO537-1651 — Page 143

- 6 -

Public Health and Sanitation.

Education.

Social Welfare.

Public Works and Town Planning.

Public Utilities.

Fire Brigade.

Parks, Gardens, Places of Amusement and Recreation Grounds.

Licensing of Vehicles and the issue of various other

licences.

At its first inception the Municipal Council should assume

immediate responsibility for the present functions of the Urban

Council and for the parks and recreation grounds, etc. The

transference to the Council of each of the other matters which

I have enumerated should thereafter form the subject of full and

careful planning in which the Government and the Council itself

would participate.

I envisage the appointment for this purpose of a Commission

consisting of representatives of the Government and of the Council,

under the Chairmanship perhaps of the Colonial Secretary. This

Commission, which should be formed as soon as possible after the

Council has first been convened, might be able in some cases to

provide for the full transference of a service forthwith; in other

cases it might recommend a more slow and gradual process; but in all

cases it would have before it as a definite aim the full ultimate

transfer to the Municipality of each of the services of which at the

inception of the Constitution it may have been decided that it is to

become a Municipal Service. The Commission would of course deal with

the detailed application of such general principles as may be laid

down in the original constitution for the transfer or secondment of

Government officials to the service of the Municipality. It would

deal with the financial implications of the transference of each

service, subject again to such general principles as will have been

laid down; and finally it would deal with the question of the

amendments to existing legislation which would be involved. I believe