CO129-520-7 Public Utility companies- acquisition by foreign groups 4-12-1929 - 26-1-1930 — Page 35

No

SECRET:

16

?2711

18

35

-8DEC 1930

(..

GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

HONGKONG. 5th November, 1930.

My Lord,

I have the honour to acknowledge the

receipt of Your Lordship's secret despatch of the

16th of September, 1930, on the subject of the control

of public utility companies in Hong Kong.

2. From the point of view of defence or

public safety, and particularly in the matter of a

political strike or boycott, the existing public

utility companies perform all the important duties

which need be contemplated in such an emergency.

Any legislative action which would affect only

companies to be formed in the future would therefore in

my opinion be of little value.

3.

1 accordingly incline to the view that

in preference to legislation this Government might

with greater advantage declare in some way its policy of giving contracts, licences, privileges and

facilities under existing or future monopoly Ordinances only to such companies as would undertake to maintain in their directorate, management and staff such a

British element as should in the opinion of the

Government

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

LORD PASSFIELD,

&c.

&C.

&c.