Membership of Commtttec.—Since the issue of the Committee's first report, which is referred to here-1 under, vacancies in the membership have arisen due to the absence of,
death of Mr. E. I, Ezra, the Sir E. C. Pearce on furlough, the, ug parture from Shanghai of Mr. J. Johnstone and the resignation Mr. H. G. Simms. 'These vacant cies have been filled by Messrs. S. Fessenden, H. H. Girardet and W H. Lester as the Council represen' atives, and Mr. C. G, Humphrys as a ratepayer.
Conmittee's Report No, 1.—On March %, 1919, the Committee made its first report-to the Council 1 commending, for the reasons therein stated, tha "Consideration of the desirability of the purchase of the Waterworks Undertaking be deferred until such time as financial]
conditions will permit of such purchase, should the Committee recommend accordingly."
In making this recommendation the Committee emphasized that it expressed no views either in favour of or against purchase.
Reference to Committee for Fw ther Report.—The negotiations between the Council and the Company ich were suspended in 1918, were then resumed and continued until Indy 17, 1922, when at its meeting on that day. the Council recorded the view that:—"It would be desirable again to give consideration to the question of the desirability of the Council purchasing the Company's water supply undertaking in_accordance with the provision made to this end in the Waterworks Agreement in 1905," and it was decided:
"to refer the matter back to the Special Committee for report, in accordance with the terms of Resolution VII passed at the Annual Meeting of Ratepayers on March 27, 1918."
Data Submitted to Committee.—, The differences that have arisen from time to time between the Council and the Waterworks Company in regard to certain questions touching the community's water supply, the views which have been expressed at past meetings of Ratepayers in regard to the desir-: ability of supply by the Council' rather than by a private concern, and other matters which were brought to the attention of the! Committee in 1919, in a memorandum prepared by the Secretary to the! Counci] and Commissioner General, have been carefully considered by
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.