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8. Representations supporting the establishment of a Port Trust.

Heferences to

Appendix III.

7, 9, 11, 18,

The Committee received ten letters from various persons and concerns supporting the No6. 1. 2. 4, establishment of a "controlling" Port Trust on the lines suggested by Sir David Owen, 16, 22, 24. some without comment, two referring to the need for acquisition of the Naval Yard at Nos. 16, 22, Kowloon and for the filling in of the Yaumati Typhoon Refuge, and one suggesting that immigration facilities and pilotage arrangemeats called for improvement and that enquiries No. 4. be made into the feasibility of constructing a cross-harbour tunnel.

In two cases correspondents advocated controlling bodies of a different nature.

One of these two correspondents suggested that the duties of the Port Trust should No. 14. be extended to the control, maintenance and operation of wharves and piers, leaving to private enterprise the operation of godowns and shore facilities.

The other suggested the substitution of a controlling authority (not necessarily a No. 17. Trust) and this was coupled with the proposal that the body should be more fully representative than the Trust proposed by Sir David and should have full operational powers where the interests of the community would be served. He also advocated the limitation of profits arising from the operation of the natural resources of the Harbour and its public utilities.

These qualifications constitute a departure from the simple "controlling" Trust envisaged by Sir David Owen.

Two interesting suggestions were made with regard to the composition of the Port Trust, the first that a representative of interests other than British and Chinese should No. 14. be nominated as a Trustee in view of the international nature of activities carried on in the Port, and the second, that the Trustees appointed on the nomination of the Chambers No. 22. of Commerce should 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 No. 18. 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.

(4) The Trust might be of powerful assistance to Government in connection with such representations as might be made by the Hong Kong Government to the Home Government concerning the resumption of Naval and Military lands.

(5) Continuity of responsibility would be assured, the same people keeping a continuous watch over the interests of the Port and seeing that their resolutions were put into effect without undue delay, thus ensuring that the efficiency of the executive staff was maintained.

(6) The closest watch would be exercised over the financial position.

(7) The Trust would be able to formulate a long-term policy for putting matters right and achieving progressive improvements, particularly where there had not been the necessary capital for financing private enterprise.