CO129-608-7 Future policy- Report on Port Administration by Sir David Owen 24-2-1941 - 24-2-1941 — Page 28

ADD. I

3.

34

(3) In June of this year the Secretary of State for the

Colonies intimated that in view of the changes which had occurred

and the lapse of time since the Oven Report had been considered by

the Executive Council, reconsideration of the main proposal for

the creation of a Port Trust appeared to be necessary. The Secretary

of State painted out that the importance of the Port in the Colony's

economy, the social and political adjustments necessitated by the war

and the constitutional changes which are now under consideration,

clearly made it desirable that all practicable methods of control and

operation of the Port should be thoroughly investigated before any

decisive step is taken. It was these circumstances which lead to our

appointment and our terms of reference called for an investigation on

the lines suggested by the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

Method of conducting the Inquiry.

5.

(1) The Committee met on seven occasions and the procedure

described in the following paragraphs was adopted in order to arrive

at our recommendations.

(2) The Committee considered the Owen Report, the proceedings

of the London Consultative Uommittee, various reports submitted by

Mr. James Jolly, O.B.E., Harbour Master, and Mr. Andrew Nicol, A.M.I.C.E.,

the Executive Engineer, Port Works Office, Public Works Department, at

the time the Owen Report was prepared, and the draft Port Trust Ordinance

prepared by Mr. Colman. Copies of these papers were furnished to all

members of the Committee and, with the exception of the Port Trust

Ordinance, are appended to this Report ar Appendix I.

(3) Although the Committee comprised a number of members qualified

to express the views of shipping and other interests likely to be

affected by changes in the form of the administration of the Port, the

Committee felt it was desirable that the public should be informed of

the Inquiry and its scope and that any persons wishing to represent the

vicws of sections of the community likely to be affected, should be

invited to make their views known to the Committee. Accordingly aïl

invitation in that benalf was published in both the Chinese and English

Press on the 15th September, 1946.