CO129-589-11 Port of Hong Kong- Report on future control and development 18-7-1941 - 10-10-1944 — Page 121

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the consent of the Governor thereto having been

first obtained.

Note. It is customary in Port Trusts for the

legislature to fix a maximum scale of charges

beyond which the Trusts cannot go without

further Parliamentary sanction. This proviso

is made with the object of protecting the

public, that is, the shipowners and merchants,

against unduly heavy charges, although

naturally it is to the interest of the Trusts

to keep their charges as low as possible. I

have inserted this provision with an eye not

only on the maximum charges but on the

minimum as well. It might be conceivable,

for instance, that the proposed Trust would

suggest too low rentals for the renewal of

the pier leases, in which case the Governor

could refuse his sanction and call upon the

Trust to reconsider the matter. At the same

time, as far as I can gather, the holders of

the pier leases which expire in 1949, do

expect to be charged higher rents for renewals,

but not unreasonably higher. What would be a

fair rental is the crux of the matter, but it

should not be difficult to arrive at it.

(h) The necessary staff for the working of the Trust to be

supplied by the Government, from their official

establishment, for the experimental period of

three years.

Note. I visualise at the end of the three years

a permanent Trust with its own staff. This

staff should not be a large one, in fact, it

should be kept as small as possible, and

would consist of a small secretariat, an