CO885-11 — Page 354

351

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

་

Reference :-

C.O.882/11

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

70

MEMORANDUM OF THE COLOMBO PORT COMMISSION ON THOSE PARTS OF THE Kerort OF THE SPECIAL COMMISSION ON THE CEYLON CONSTITUTION HAVING RELATION TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE PORT OF COLOMBO,

The Report of the Special Commission, page 50, states that Ports and Harbours will fall under the administration of Minister No. 7 of the Department of Public Communications. They will be administered by an Executive Committee elected by secret ballot from the Members of the State Council under a Minister who will be elected by that Committee itself.

2. On page 52 of their Report the Special Commissioners state that the Depart- ments, which in their view should be placed under the Officers of State,

are either

of Imperial importance or what may be called implementary of the decisions of the State Council," and that the Officers of State would not have Executive Committees of the Council associated with them.

3.

Now it is beyond question that the Port of Columbo is of Imperial importance both from the point of view of trade and of defence. The total tonnage entered and cleared makes the Port of Colombo the fifth most important port in the Empire. It is one of the great ports of call on the main trade routes from Europe to the Eastern ports of India, Straits Settlements, French Indo-China, China, Japan, and Australia. is a refuelling centre for a very large proportion of the shipping taking these routes, and the fact that it is so used indicates that the facilities offered are adequate, while at the same time this use creates a considerable volume of trade connected The with the requirements of these ships in other respects besides their fuelling. efficient administration of the Port therefore is of great importance to Imperial and international trade, as well as of paramount importance to the trade of the Colony itself, from which trade the greater portion of the Colonial revenue is derived.

4. In order that the 'commercial and shipping interests involved may be more vividly realised, some of the responsibilities connected with the administration of the Port may be enumerated. The dredging programme has to be carried out with par- ticular reference to the draught of ships likely to desire to enter the Port, and this depends, among other factors, on the dredging programme of the Suez Canal. In order that the Port may not fall behind in the facilities that it offers, the provision of warehouse accommodation adequate for the consistent expansion of trade is of para- mount importance to prevent undue delay to shipping. Pilotage is compulsory, and the provision of pilots of adequate skill and the efficient control of their activities are essential to protect the Crown against complaints in regard to damage to shipping, 5. As regards defence, the Port of Colombo is protected by fortifications, and has also a very detinite Imperial importance in its relationship to His Majesty's Navy, which has on occasions contributed considerable sums towards improvements in the Harbour, notably in the matter of the dry dock. During the recent war the necessary measures with regard to the examination and bunkering of neutral shipping, the detention and disposal of enemy vessels, and the detailed control of trade, were dele- gated directly by the Imperial Authorities to the Civil Authorities of the Port, who worked in close co-operation with the Naval and Military Authorities. Such a course was rendered possible by the direct personal relationship maintained between the Port Authorities and the officers, of both the Army and Navy, responsible for the defence of the Port; all acting together in pursuance of the measures laid down by the Imperial Government for the proper prosecution of the blockade of enemy countries.

6. On pages 73 and 74 of the Report it is proposed that the Governor shall not assent to any Bill whereby the trade and shipping of the United Kingdom and its Dependencies may be prejudiced, or to any Bill relating to or affecting trade out- side the Island, or docks, harbours, shipping, or any lands, buildings, or other These special matters of naval, military, or aerial interest, or of Imperial concern. afeguards will apply to almost any legislation that will affect the Port of Colombo. 7. It is submitted, therefore, that the Imperial importance of the Port. both in the matter of international trade, and in the matter of defence, renders it essential that such supervision of its administration as must necessarily be exercised by the Central Government should be exercised through the hands of one of the Officers of State, and not through the hands of an elected Minister with an Executive Committee of the State Council. This submission is in direct pursuance of the principles laid down by the Special Commission in paragraph 15 on page 52 with regard to the functions of the Officers of State.

S. On page 49 of the Donoughmore Report, the duties of an Executive Com- mittee are laid down. These are in effect the duties which are now carried out by the Colombo Port Commission. It is clear, therefore, if the administration of the

77

l'ort is to be a Department placed in charge of a Minister, that, unless the Port Commission is to be abolished, there would be two Committees dealing with exactly the same matters. The same work would have to be gone through twice, while the decisions arrived at by a Committee, composed mainly of members who are thoroughly acquainted with the working and needs of the Port, would be reviewed by a com- mittee, in which few, if any, of the members would have any such knowledge.

9. It now remains to consider the effect of the general principles laid down in the Donoughmore Report on the present constitution of the Port Commission. The duties of each Executive Committee are stated to consist of :-

(a) the preparation of the annual Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure in

respect of the Departments under its control;

(b) the preparation of such Supplementary Estimates as may be required from

time to time;

(c) the consideration of such executive business as the Chairman may direct

to be placed on the agenda paper, or such as may be brought up by individual members;

(d) the consideration of proposed legislative measures falling within the scope

of the Committee.

The functions of the present Port Commission have nowhere been very clearly defined, and, as there is no separate Port Budget, the yearly and supplementary Estimates for the Port, after consideration by the Commission, are placed by the Chairman before Government, and thereafter have to take their chance in the consideration of the General Estimates for the whole Colony. In the same way the revenue of the Port is paid into the General Revenue of the Colony, and is not specifically car- marked for the benefit of the Port. What is required is a separate Budget and a Port Executive Committee performing the functions laid down on page 49 of the Donoughmore Report, and set out above. In this Committee the property at present administered by the Port Commission should be vested, on such terms as to capital value and interest as may be arranged. The Committee should be composed of members representing the various interests involved in the working of the Port. and should be under the control of an Officer of State.

<

10. To facilitate the work of the Committee the accounts of the Port should he drawn up on

commercial" lines, so that a Port Budget could be prepared com- plete in itself, showing the total income and expenditure of the Department. The Committee should also have the power to raise loans, either through Government. or in the open market, on the security of its own property and revenues, and to The Budget and the loans of the Port would finance them from its own revenues.

be subject to the approval of His Excellency the Governor. The Committee, how- ever, would be fully responsible for all the executive administration of the Port. It would function through its Chairman, and would also be under the general control of the Officer of State.

prepara- 11. On pages 61 and 62 of the Donoughmore Report it is stated that “ tions for a change of system must be made in advance of a decision as to the precise nature of that change. The decentralisation of control from the Secretariat," which is so urgently needed

must be carefully prepared for and elaborated with- out delay."" Plans inust be made, and the organisation for the change to the new system completed, well in advance of its introduction and we consider that no time should be lost

These are all arguments in support of the urgent need for the early establishment of the Port Executive Committee. There is no reason whatever for delay.

12. To give a greater preciseness to this recommendation, the following proposal for the construction of the Committee is tentatively put forward. According to the 1928 Indian Directory the similar body in Calcutta consists of a Chairman and 17 members with a Deputy Chairman who is also Secretary. The 17 members are appointed as follows:-

Railways

Customs (Collector)

Port Officer...

Bengal Chamber of Commerce Calcutta Trades Association Calcutta Corporation

Bengal National Chamber of Com-

merce

Indian Chamber of Commerce

6 representatives

3 representatives

1 representative

ex-officio.

1 representative

1 representative

I representative

3 representatives

1 representative