CO129-542-3 Foreshore and Sea-bed Works Bill- correspondence 9-1-1933 - 16-8-1933 — Page 23

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I

Mr. Looker was under the misapprehension

that the Bill had originated in this office.

assured him that the Bill was initiated by the

Governor and that all we had done so far had

been to refer it to the Board of Trade and our

He would legal advisers for technical amendments.

like the Governor to be asked to state the scope

of the works which he contemplates undertaking

under the Bill in the next few years.

I suggested that, in any event, owing to the provision for the giving of notice and the necessity for providing money there would be full opportunity

before any works were initiated,

but for discussion in the Legislative Council M it was quite clear that Mr. Looker had no confidence that the unofficial members of the Legislative Council

properly

would represent the case of the commercial interests. This was rather depressing and it makes it very

difficult to endeavour to ascertain unofficial

opinion if important interests do not take the trouble to secure representation on the Legislati ve Council, where in addition to the members nominated by the Governor one member is nominated by the

Justices of the Peace and one by the Chamber of

Commerce. It was quite clear that the Chamber

of Commerce do not feel that their views are

being properly represented by Sir William Shenton; that indeed I gathered when I saw Sir William.

Mr. Looker opposed the provisions of the

Bill in general terms and affected to be ignorant

of the nature of any particular schemes which

the Hongong Government

had in mind, but it

seemed clear that at the back of his mind was the

idea