CO129-582-12 Compulsory Service Ordinance 1939 31-7-1939 - 27-9-1939 — Page 19

HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

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stages, or who can only be spared from their normal duties for service in the Volunteers for a comparatively short time. It may be there are some who will be spared for two or three days and then return to their normal civil occupations.

Hon. Members will, no doubt, wish to know how employers are to ensure the retention of the services in war of those members of their staff whom they regard as key men. Any employer who considers that the services of a member of his staff who has joined the Volunteers are essential in war must represent this fact to the Commandant of the Volunteer Defence Corps. The employer must, in fact, claim his man. If no satisfactory agreement can be reached between the employer and the Commandant of the Volunteer Defence Corps, the matter will be referred to a Tribunal to be set up by His Excellency the Governor. I hope very much that this arrangement will be found satisfactory. Whatever decision is reached in the case as regards key men, and whether it is decided that he is to remain in civil occupation, the man will remain a member of the Volunteers. If he is to remain permanently or temporarily in his civil occupation in war he will continue to be a member of the Volunteers, he will retain his status, and will wear the Volunteer uniform in his civil occupation.

I fully realise the difficulties provided by this question of key men, and my sympathies are with those gentlemen who are anxious to joint the Volunteers and to train themselves to assist in the defence of the Colony but who are, for excellent reasons, prevented from doing

So.

From reading Hansard of the last meeting of this Council I realise there was a feeling of genuine regret on the part of certain Hon. Members that this Bill was restricted to British Europeans. His Excellency the Governor has explained why that was necessary, but I want to take this opportunity of informing Hon. Members of my very high opinion of the efficiency of the Portuguese, the Colony-born and the Chinese units of the Volunteer Defence Corps. These units are expanding and developing and are going on very well indeed. I feel confident, and I know Hon. Members will share my feelings, that we can count on the fullest possible assistance from the Chinese and other communities and that they would fight and give their lives and services. readily for the defence of the Colony.

H.E. THE GOVERNOR.-Honourable Members,-Before this Bill is put to the vote I wish to try to make one point clear. There is something of a misunderstanding abroad of the fundamental nature and purpose of the Compulsory Service Bill. That misunderstanding is due to the tendency to concentrate too much on the 'active service' side of the Colony's defence-and this bill's object is solely defensive -and to give too little thought to the equally necessary services that must be kept going, if the defence of the Colony and the bare necessities of civil life are to be maintained during war-time, as of course they must be.

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