CO129-608-7 Future policy- Report on Port Administration by Sir David Owen 24-2-1941 - 24-2-1941 — Page 41

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All

No.18

16 -

be business men who were not preoccupied with duties as members

of Executive or Legislative Council, or the prospective Municipal

Council.

One correspondent, while considering that perhaps the best

course would be to establish control by some form of Port Trust,

believing that this would add to the expense of the Port,

recommended strengthening the existing Port Executive Committee

and the adoption of the recommendations of Sir David Owen if,

after a trial period, this should prove inadequate.

9.

Mr. Colman on the advantages of a Port Trust.

On the 16th September Mr. Colman addressed the Committee

on the characteristics and merits of the Port Trust form of

administration.

His remarks are set out in extenso in paragraph 4 of the

minutes of the second meeting of the Committee.

After outlining the history of Port Trusts and stating his

views as to their duties and responsibilities, Mr. Colman

expressed the opinion that they had the following advantages:

(1) Being a corporate body the Trust could not be influenced

in any way by anyone.

(2) The Trust would be composed of men of mature experience

and, in some cases, expert knowledge, wherefore its

resolutions or representations called for the closest

consideration.

(3) The possibility of the constitution of a Municipal Council

might give rise to a conflict between Municipal and Port

interests in matters such as road access and maintenance,

drainage and sewerage, port health arrangements and the

control of ferries, wherein Government might find it

difficult to resist Municipal claims without the support

of a strong case put up by an authoritative body

representing the shipping community.

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