CO129-608-7 Future policy- Report on Port Administration by Sir David Owen 24-2-1941 - 24-2-1941 — Page 113

Subject

.)

- 5 -

Section

Comment or Amendment

バイ

(m) Staff -

Regulations

5 (2) (a)

(12) Staf

6

Corruption

(0)

Detention of Vessels

13 (1)

(p) Compulsory

20 & 21

Movement of Vessels

Administration

29 (1)

(a) General

Report

(r) Capital Value

33

of Assets

taken over

(s) Disbursements

6.

34 (2) (b)

Insert after "Governor in Council"

"and if approved".

It was suggested that the maximum

penalties should be reviewed in Hong Kong with a view to increasing them and to ensuring that they are as amended within statutory limits.

Mr. Wurtzburg emphasised that

arrangements should be made whereby the procedure for giving bond in such cases would be simple and speedy so as not to delay vessels.

In both sections after "in cases of

emergency" delete the words "or for any reason which appears sufficient". It was remarked that these sections gave the Trust wide povers, but Mr. Colman said that, in cases of emergency, these powers were necessary. It was agreed that with the deletion noted above the draft sections might be allowed to stand.

Add at the end of the paragraph

"and this if approved shall be published".

The Committee wished it to be

recorded that they would consider it to be wrong for the Port Trust to be burdened with a heavy debt in respect of the capital oost of assets taken over from the Government, and that any valuation of such assets should be made bearing in mind the extent to which their acquisition had in the past been charged to general revenue including dues collected.

Delete "hereinafter referred to".

The Chairman said that further decisions in the matter of the Port Trust would rest with the Hong Kong Government on its re- establishment. In accordance with his suggestion it was agreed that the Committee would fulfil the purposes for which it was set up by submitting to the Secretary of State, in lieu of a formal report, the draft Ordinance with their comments as embodied in these Minutes, together with the Minutes of previous Meetings and the Memoranda already considered by the Committee.

The Chairman closed the Meeting by expressing his thanks to the members for their assistance and advice, which, he was sure, were much appreciated by the Secretary of State.

NOTE. The references in Minute No.5 to a draft Port Trust Ordinance are references to an earlier draft than the one circulated to members of this Committee, which had been rearranged and amended in accordance with London Committee's recommendations as to details.