CO129-608-5 Future policy- port administration 20-3-1948 - 19-10-1948 — Page 8

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(a)

gives them h

Mr. Allen wonders whether it is the Seamen's Union, of which the Governor speaks, which ought to be represented on the Committee. Ought it not to be rather shore labour? This is less vocal, but perhaps offers a possibility of more educated representation. In a second (and confidential) letter Mr. Allen suggests that the Commissioner of Labour would be preferable to Mr. Baker as the watcher of labour interests.

The Governor gives reasons for not wishing

to relieve the Harbour Master (whose designation has been changed to Director of Marine) of his duties as a Marine Magistrate at present. One is that the Governor not yet ready to amend the Magistrate Ordinance, since other amendments to this ordinance were also under consideration. We have now received the Hong Kong proposals for amendment of the Magistrates Ordinance, which are under conson on 54384/32/48. They do not include the relieving of the Director of Marine and his assistants of their magisterial duties, though Section 6, which their powers, is to be amended in other ways (e.g. the changed designation of the post is taken into account).

It is therefore clear that the Governor's real objection to our suggestion was the practical one that, though the Director of Marine himself very rarely exercises his magisterial powers, his assistants do exercise them and thereby relieve the overburdened regular magistracy of some work. The Governor therefore wishes to allow this to continue for some time longer as a matter of administrative convenience. Mr. Allen has no comments of note on this point.

5. On points (a), (b) and (d) above we may accept the Governor's view. As regards (c), subject to Mr. Barltrop's advice, we might perhaps put forward the two points made by Mr. Allen, while making it clear that we do so only as suggestions for the Governor's consideration and that we leave the decisions entirely to him.

6. I submit a draft despatch on the above

lines.

7. The Secretary of State saw (6) and minuted thereon on 16/6/47.

6.10.48.

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I should have thought that the of ors nor would have accepted substantial inconveniend as he price of secusing the Chairmanship of the Pont Committer - at least after de present Chairman disappears.