CO537-2188 — Page 390

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EXTRACT FROM THE NOTE OF A MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CHINA ASSOCIATION AND THE HONG KONG PLANNING UNIT AT THE COLONIAL OFFICE

ON THE 1ST MAY, 1945

6.

On the other hand it was not considered practicable

It for the 7 Chinese Members to be elected by ballot.

was said that the Chinese do not understand and are not

in sympathy with the method of the ballot box and that

the acceptable machinery in this case would be

nomination by representative guilds. It was appreciated

that this might give an unfortunate impression,

particularly in America, that the European community

was being given the vote and not the Chinese community,

but on the whole it was concluded that such a decision

could be defended on the grounds that it was in

accordance with Chinese custom and tradition.

EXTRACT FROM A NOTE BY MR. N.L. SMITH,

LATE COLONIAL SECRETARY, HONG KONG, DATED 22ND JUNE, 1945

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I gather that even in Shanghai the Chinese

representatives on Municipal Council were not there

through the ballot-box; and I am sure that the

compilation of a satisfactory electoral roll in Hong Kong

for Chinese would be almost impossible over 100,000 live permanently on boats, probably as many in "coolie

boarding houses" and a high proportion of the residue

in tenements, paying rent for a bedspace but no rates.

If a literacy test is necessary I cannot see what is

wrong with the "not ignorant of the English language"

of the Juries Ordinance of 1887. And this at once

eliminates, as I said, all racial discriminations.

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