CO537-1651 — Page 163

Municipality when details of such property are available.

In deciding upon the terms, regard will have to be paid to

the Colony's financial position at the tinc and to the

question whether any replacomes will be necessary for

Central Government purposes.

(m) Secondment of staff to the Municipality (paragraph 40).

I agree that this question should be referred to the Commission

proposed in paragraph 33 of Sir Mark Young's despatch, but it

will be necessary to consider very carefully whether; without

prejudice to the interests of the holders, the posts of

seconded officers should be retained on the Colonial Establishmont

once the duties of those posts have been transferred to the

Municipality.

(n) Secondment of an experienced Town Clerk (paragraph 41)

As you will be aware, Sir Mark Young subsequently suggested,

after further consideration, that steps should be taken with a

view to engaging an experienced Town Clerk from the United

Kingdom for a period of approximately two years to supervise

the establishment of municipal government in Hong Kong. I agree

with this proposal, and enquiries are now being made to this end.

(0) External control over the affairs of the Municipality

(paragraph 42).

The question whether or not the affairs of the Municipal

Council should be subject to any form of external control, within

their allotted sphere, gives rise to a number of important

legal and financial problems and questions of policy, which I

desire to reserve for further oxamination. I shall accordingly

address you separately on this question as soon as I am in a

position to do so. Meanwhile, I have already drawn attention

in sub-peragraph (1) above to the necessity for ensuring that,

for such time as the Colony is in receipt of assistance from

His Majesty's Government, the external control exercised

over