CO537-2188 — Page 15

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year period for non-British Chinese. Alternatively, as the question of whether a difference between the qualifications required from non-British Chinese and from non-British Europeans and Americans would lead to charges of racial discrimination, is one on which the views of the Foreign Office would be relevant and we might put it to them and if they agree accept the Governor's

views.

(c) The Governor is still in favour of the age of

25 rather than of 21 for the franchise but is willing to agree that the age for membership of the Council might be reduced from 30 to 25. This seems to meet our point about trade union representatives and my own feeling is that we should accept the Governor's views on this point providing Eastern Department A see no objection as regards Singapore.

(e) In paragraph 17 (on page 7) of his despatch

No. 145, the Governor says that a Councillor must fulfil all the qualifications required of an elector of the same race. He confirms in (e) (of 19) that this means that nominated members, including nominees of the trade unions, would require jury qualification if they did not qualify as owners or tenants of property of a rateable value of not less than $200 per annum (1.e. £12.108.). The

qualifications for jury service which are given in enclosure 6 to 145 are fairly limiting and it appears, therefore, that the trade union representatives would probably not be drawn from the majority of trade union members. If this is accepted, for the time being, I think we should, at any rate, urge that it is a matter which should be kept under review so as to permit as soon as possible of trade union nominees being more directly representative of trade union members

(f) The Governor finds difficulty in increasing

the number of trade union representatives from 2 to 3 or 4 because of the difficulty of dispensing with any of the representatives of the other nominating bodies. In this connection please see paragraph 18 of my minute of 18.11.46. and the Secretary of State's marginal note thereto. I suggest that in view of what une Governor says we should not for the time being press for an increase in the number of trade union nominees but should stress the desirability of gradually broadening the jury qualification,

(8)

I do not understand the second part of (g) and if Mr. Roberts-Wray agrees I suggest that we should ask the Governor what is meant.

Besides these points on which decisions are required, we deferred consideration of:

(i) The Governor's recommendation in paragraph 42

of his despatch that no power of veto

/should

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