CO537-6046 — Page 169

8.

There are no doubt plenty of variants of these

two alternative proposals, but the proposals as they

stand serve to show the main issue which the

Comittee will have to face if it finally comes to the

conclusion (1) that in pr sent circumstances the Young

Plan for a municipality ought to be dropped and (2)

that in view of the Government's commitments a mere

drop ing of the municipal idea, even if accompanied

by elected members on the Leg. Co., will not suffice.

Responsbility for carrying on the normal local

government services must be placed definitely on the

shoulders of some person or cor orate body. If a..

a road is negligently cons trusted and an accident

results, somebody must be answerable and in the last

resort be liable in damages, and this must

presumably be either the Crown in the person of the

Governor or some body established for the purpose,

If it is to be the Crown, then some or a 1 of the

members of the Leg. Co, might be invited to advise

the Crown in the conduct of the service. If it is to

be some ad hoc body, then the body, whether or not it

consists of members of the Leg. Co., must be clothed

with the necess ry powers and resources including a

corporate existence. There seems to be no half-way

house,

9.

An easier alternative than either of the two

proposals discussed above might be to adopt what

seems to be broadly the "c urter-plan" formulated after

publication of the Young Plan by certain unofficial

bodies, that is, to reconstitute the Leg. Co. on an

elective basis (but on a British nationality franchise)

and to postpone the question of establishing a

municipal body until alter that is achieved,

But

unless it was made abundantly clear at the outset that

the municipal body was (in contrast to the Young

/proposals)