KORG TEL 110. 45/ TO F.C.0.
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AS IS OFTEN STATED, FROM ITS ALLEGED LACK OF POWERS, BUT FROM SIMPLE DISDAIN FOR DODIES OF THIS KIND.
(B) IT IS GOING TO BE DIFFICULT ENOUGH MERELY TO RATIONALIZE THE EXI- STING URBAN COUNCIL, WITHOUT TRYING TO EFFECT A MAJOR CHANGE OF SYSTEM.
(C) WE ALWAYS HAVE TO BEAR IN MIND CHINESE SUSPICIONS, WHICH MIGHT WELL BE AROUSED BY RADICAL CHANGES.
3 ONE IS LEFT WITH THE CONCLUSION THEREFORE THAT THE BEST THAT CAN BE DONE FOR THE PRESENT IS TO BRING SOME ORDER INTO THE PRESENT URBAN COUNCIL, AND STRAIGHTEN OUT ITS MORE OBVIOUSLY PECULIAR FEATURES AS A LOCAL AUTHORITY. WHAT I AM AIMING AT THEREFORE AS A FIRST STEP IS A PROCESS OF DISENTANGLING IT FROM THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT AND MAKING IT STAND AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ON ITS OWN FEET, WITH ITS RESPONSIBILITIES CO-TERMINOUS WITH ITS POWERS AND WITH THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES AND POWERS PROPERLY DEFINED. ONCE THIS HAS BEEN DONE, AND THE NEW SYSTEM HAS SHAKEN DOWN, IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO THINK OF FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS IN THE LIGHT OF THE SITUATION THEN OBTAINING.
Bu IN THIS PROCESS, SOME OF THE GREATEST PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES ARISE FROM TRYING TO GIVE THE COUNCIL A MEASURE OF FINANCIAL AUTONOMY. SUCH COMPLEX MATTERS AS ITS OWNERSHIP OR OTHERWISE
OF LANDS AND BUILDINGS, ON WHAT FINANCIAL BASIS CENTRAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES SHOULD BE PROVIDED, THE STATUS OF URBAN SERVICES DEPART- MENT STAFF AND THEIR METHOD OF PAYMENT, THE FINANCING OF CAPITAL WORKS AND THEIR EXECUTION, THE LEVEL TO WHICH GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL SUBVENTIONS SHOULD BE PROVIDED, AND ITS OWN. RATING POWERS,
ARE ONLY A FEW OF THE VERY MANY DETAILED PROBLEMS WHICH HAVE TO BE SORTED OUT ONE BY ONE BEFORE WE ARE READY TO PROCEED.
5.
PROGRESS IS HOWEVER BEING MADE, AND PERHAPS WE MIGHT BE READY TO GO TO EXECUTIVE COUNCIL BY THE END OF THE YEAR: ALTHOUGH IT IS HARD TO BE CERTAIN. THE ONLY PRESSURE FOR ANY HASTE IN ALL THIS, OF COURSE, COMES IN A FAIRLY DESULTORY WAY FROM LITTLE MORE THAN THE ELECTED MEMBERS THEMSELVES. BUT WE MUST GET THIS RIGHT DEFORE WE PROCEED: THE PROPER SOLUTION IS HERE OF MUCH GREATER IMPORTANCE THAN URGENCY. IN THIS CONNEXION IT HAS TO BE FACED
/THAT
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