CO537-1651 — Page 174

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6.

(E) without the written permission of the Governor, is

concerned ur interested in any contract or work mado with or done for the Commissioners or who without such permission as aforesaid becomes so concerned or interested.

(h) is a member of the Armed Forces of the Crown on full pay

or in active employment

or

(i) is a regular minister of a religious body.

There should be no sex disqualification.

NOTE:

Sub-sections 1, 3, l, 5 and 6 of Suction 8 of the Municipal

Ordinance of the Straits Settlements (Cap. 135) should be re-enacted in

Jur opinion.

There is no need to recommend any special grounds of

disqualification of Municipal Electors.

7.

This

We on opposed to enlarging the territorial scope of the

Municipal ministration to include the whole Island of Singapore.

may be possible and desirable in the future but we consider not at the

present time. Our reasons for this recommendation are as follows :-

(a) The Municipal services are organised to deal with urban not

rural areas. Certain requirements for urban and rural areas differ greatly. The Government Health service and some other services in the present Rural Board area are suitably organised for a rural area and as they form a part of a general Maləyən Service with a large cadru, casualties can always be replaced by transfer from other areas. No such reservoir of trained personnel for rural work is available to the Singapore Municipal Commissioners.

(b) We favour a policy of raising the standard of public services

and utilities within the Municipal area to the highest possible point. We think that dispersion of effort must result in dilution and lowering of standards within present Municipal limits. On the other hand, a high standard at the centre itself creates a desire on a tendency to spread outwards. If rural areas are to be brought within the Municipal zone of administration it seems that the necessary result must be a general lowering of the standards of such services (for exemple) as conservancy, malaria prevention and mosquito control.

(c) At present many of the services and amenities provided by the Rural Board are provided largely for the benefit of the Armed Forces of the Crown. The provision of strategic roads and other works for their benefit should be a matter for the Imperial Government or the Colony Government; certainly it should not be a Municipal liability to be carried out at the cost of the ratepayer.

(a)

(e)

Finance. At present the Municipal finances are bearing 2 considerable strain. To take in the whole or any large part of the present Rural Board area is bound to result in an increase of expenditure and therefore of taxation.

If the result or expansion of the Municipal limits is not going to be considerably increased or improved services in the rural areas, we see no advantage in expansion. If the result of expansion is going to be considerably increased and improved services in rural areas the cost will also be greatly increased.