ENG-1953 — Page 30

REVIEW OF THE YEAR

from the Government. This Authority would consist of all members of the Urban Council together with such additional members of the Authority as the Governor might appoint. The necessary legislation was in draft at the end of the year, but in the meantime the Urban Council, through its Select Committees, had been acquiring valuable experience by exer- cising general supervision over the resettlement programme. These functions were performed with enthusiasm and members shared between themselves responsibility for particular resettle- ment areas and were frequently to be seen at the sites investigating standards and types of construction and general amenities of the area. Earlier in the year the Council had attracted considerable public attention in that under new legislation the number of seats to be filled by election was increased from two to four. It was perhaps a reflection on Hong Kong's social consciousness that the number of persons who cast their vote formed a disappointingly small proportion of the numbers eligible. All four successful candidates were members of the Reform Club, and the Club took much encouragement from this fact. During the summer it organized a petition to Her Majesty the Queen praying for the inclusion of two elected members in the constitution of the Legislative Council. 12,000 odd signatures were obtained and the petition was duly transmitted by the Governor to London. The official view was that 12,000 represented a very small proportion of the total population of the Colony (2,250,000), and that sufficient grounds did not exist for making any change in the Govern- ment's policy on constitutional issues, namely that no changes of a major nature should be made for the time being. The franchise for the Urban Council itself was, however, consider- ably extended by legislation passed towards the end of the year. In elections which will take place in the Spring of 1954, the number of those entitled to vote will be increased from approximately 11,000 to a figure which is expected to be well in excess of 29,000.

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