CO129-608-7 Future policy- Report on Port Administration by Sir David Owen 24-2-1941 - 24-2-1941 — Page 189

MINUTES OF THE THIRD MEETING OF THE PORT ADMINISTRATION. INQUIRY COMMITTEE COLONIAL HELD IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER, SECRETARIAT, AT 4.30 P.M. ON MONDAY, 23rd SEPTEMBER, 1946

APPENDIX V (3)

PRESENT:

The Hon. Mr. T. M. Hazlerigg, C.B.E., M.C. (Chairman) Commodore D. H. Everett, C.B.E., D.S.O., R.N.,

Commodore-in-Charge, Hong Kong

The Hon. Mr. V. Kenniff, Director of Public Works

Mr. W. M. Thomson, Director of Supplies, Trade & Industry Mr. I. B. Trevor, M.C., Manager of the Railway

The Hon. r. D. F. Landale

The Hon. Mr. T. N. Chau, C.B.E.

Mr. J. A. Blackwood (representing Mr. C. C. Roberts)

Mr. R. A. Wickerson

Mr. R. Y. Frost

Mr. Lawrence Kadoorie

Mr. Li Koon-Chun

Mr. C. G. F. F. Melmoth (Secretary)

In attendance:

Mr. C. J. Colman

1.

2.

MINUTES.

With the consent of the meeting the minutes of the second meeting held on the 16th September were signed by the Chairman.

MR. COLMAN'S VIEWS WITH REGARD TO CERTAIN SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.

The Chairman said that before the Committee considered the views and information which had been made available so far he wished to know Mr. Colman's views on certain specific points which were as follows:

(a)

It has been suggested in certain quarters that if a Municipal Council is established such Council should be empowered to appoint the Chairman of the Port Trust (if such be constituted) and to appoint a number of the Trustees or Commissioners.

Mr. Colman said it seemed to him a very surprising suggestion to make. He thought it unlikely that the shipping interests would agree to the Chairman of the Port Trust being a nominee of the Municipal Council, because if the duties of the prospective Municipal Council were to be those of similar Councils he had known elsewhere, the Council would be in no way responsible for any of the functions that a Port Trust would control and it would be an extraordinary arrangement for them to nominate the Chairman. Mr. Colman went on to say, however, that it would be quite reasonable for one of the Trustees to be nominated by the Municipal Council and, conversely, for one of the Port Trustees to be a member of the Municipal Council, and had it been known that one was in prospect when the draft Port Trust Ordinance was being prepared, he would have included a suitable provision.