CO129-594-9 Membership of Legislative and Executive Councils 31-12-1945 - 14-1-1947 — Page 142

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EXTRACTS FROM A LETTER DATED THE 16TH FEBRUARY, 1946,

FROM BRIG. MACDOUGALL TO MR. LLOYD.

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The question of membership of the new Councils, to which you refer in your para. 6, has been given considerable thought, and there is little doubt that several difficulties lie ahead. Frankly, I would still prefer to advise the deferment of the appointment of any unofficial members until the Governor has had an opportunity of seeing for himself the somewhat alarming absence of new and energetic leaders of the Chinese community. All the former Chinese members remain; all except one are associated to a greater or lesser degree in the public mind with the Japanese administration; and, in spite of all that one could wish to the contrary, they still appear to be the only members of the Chinese community who possess the stature and experience which appointment to the Councils demands.

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I still feel, however, that it is most undesirable that the initial choice of unofficial members should be binding for the prescribed period of four and five years for the Legislative and Executive Councils respectively. In normal times a four or five year term is, in my view, too long, and is, apparently, longer than obtains in most Colonies. But in the present circumstances it is important that the Governor should be given an opportunity to consider the capabilities of possible new members, together with the claims of other aspirants, before he is committed for the next few years by definitive appointments. might be achieved by limiting the initial appointments to a period of one year or six months, or by making appointment

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