CO537-1651 — Page 9

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Paragraph 29

of No. 69. Nominating

bodies.

Paragraph 31 of No. 69. Responsibili-1 ties of Council.

Their

which provision has not apparently been made is that

of the Eurasians. The number of Eurasians returned in the late census is stated (on page 3 of Enclosure 7 to No. 69) to have been only 837 but it is admitted that the majority of Eurasians were numbered either among the Chinese or the Portuguese. The | Eurasians, more perhaps than any other group are entitled to regard Hong Kong as their only home. representation could however be ensured by a simple extension of the ingenious arrangement devised for the representation of Indians and Portuguese. true that there might not be an Eurasian (or a Portugues or Indian) candidate amongst those standing for election but it may perhaps be fairly said that if no representative of these communities is available for election it is unlikely that one would be available for nomination.

It is

17. As regards the 10 nominated Councillors, the suggestion of nomination by the Governor is rejected in favour of nomination by 7 nominating bodies. It seems a wise provision, however, that these 7 bodies should not be designated in the instrument by which the Council is constituted so as to enable them to be varied if circumstances should so require. The Governor also suggests that in the event of the nominating bodies failing to exercise their responsibilities the power would pass to the Governor.

18.

Working class representation it is suggested should be through the recognised trade unions. I have spoken to Mr. Grossmith who does not know whether there is a Council of Trade Unions in Hong Kong, It is uncertain therefore whether the proposed two nominees could be regarded as representative of all the trade unions. In view of the numerical preponderance of the working classes I wonder if there might not be a case for allotting them 3 representative I rather than 2 out of the total of 30. If so, the

third nominee would have, I think, to be in substitu- tion of the Chinese nominated by the unofficial Justice of the Peace. In view, however, of the fact that the trade union movement is not very developed in Hong Kong, we might perhaps, at this stage, do no more than suggest that consideration should be given to the desirability of increasing the trade union representation in the future. In any case, in a territory of which the vast majority of the population are not likely to be trade unionists the aim should be a gradual reduction of the qualifications for franchise rather than an increased use of an artificial device for ensuring working class representation.

19. The responsibilities which it is proposed should be transferred to the Municipal Council are those discussed in the earlier papers on this file, although it does not seem that such a radical transferrence is being considered as was thought of here. For example it was suggested in the Colonial Office that the Medical Service might be transferred completely to the control of the Municipality, whereas the Governor contemplates the retention of part

of the medical staff in the service of the Government. İ For the determination of the precise extent of the transfer of such responsibilities to the Council.

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