Various Groups Desire Voice in Government: Remarkable Ship Construction Era From A Srxctat Connzsronpext Hongkong, June 24. the question of the Colony's constitution, so as to give the ordinary resident a voice in its government, arises locally. "It hi ome into some prominence follow. Ing the reprinting here of an ould spoken interview which Mr. Roland Braddell, Singapore barrister, gave to a Straits newspaper, in which he made a reasoned plea for greater lyle privileges for the "Little Man" '=a plea which has found' a ready fe-echo. in local Press camment. Unlike many other Crown Colonics, both Singepore and Hongkong have Logistative Councils in which the official clement predominates and appolniment to which, so. far as the unofficial members are concerned, [3 other than by direct election, In the ease of Hongkong, excluding the Governor, who is chairman, there fare nine om cial and eight unoMcial members. Of the. latter, six are nominated by the Governor and the amaining two chosen by the General Chamber of "Commerce and the Justices of the Peace respectively. This, incidentally, is in striking contrast to the Constitution of British Guiana, from which Colony Sir Geoffry, Northcote, Hongkong's Governorselect will come here. There, the Council consists of ten officials and nineteen unoMcials, of the latter whom fourteen are popularly lected and the remainder nominated by the Governor, Disparity in Franchise Privilexes There are doubtless good and sutficient "reasons {0 account for the Inck of uniformity in the constitu tions of the various Crown Colonies, ul, as one of the local journals hax pointed out, the disparity In franchise, privileges cannot be wholly due to the state of political or educational advancement of the inhabitants, since some of the more culturally backward Colonies have more liberal constitutions than Hongkong enjoys. Possibly the near presence of large foreign political units Is a factor the situation. Be that as it may, there does exist in Hongkong 9 strong under-current of - opinion, seldom made vocal, which favours reform, The only direct vote which residents here enjoy Is In respect of two seats on the Urban Council, the new name given to the old Sanitary Board, This Body, however, is merely advisory, and as the elected seats are held for Period of three years, the opportunity of exercising "this very limited franchise seldom occurs, More often than not, vacancies are filled without the necessity of election, due. to the absence of more than' one candidate, This circumstance has bbeon cited as demonstrating a lack of civic spirit on the part of the: public, but when recount is taken of the relative unimportance of the Council in the scheme of local government, the eritielsm seems scarcely lustied. If apathy does exist, the more likely explanation Is the' lack of opportunity offered to the average resident in the matter of making his views and opinions felt, Bristling with Dimeoutties conceded that the problem of devising a satisfactory electoral system bristles with dimcultios, more particularly in the direction of avolding any swamping of the poll by specific Interests or communities There is the further fact, of which account must be taken, that the masses of the Chinese populace are Rot fitted for the vole, On the Legislative Council, og at present constituted, three of the eight unofficials are Chinese. all appointed by the Governor. It might be possible, 0 far as Chinese representation is concerned, to give the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the Chiness Justices of the Peace, or some other representative - Chinese body, the vrlvilege of nominating their own members, or, at least in regard to one of the members, some system of properly or. residential qualification might be devised.
The non-Chinese community: might be catered for by the electorate being drawn, as in the case of the Urban Counelt contests, from the Jury List, plus those normally able for but exempt from jury service, which is fairly representative of the English-Speaking communities of various races—or a property or residential qualification might also apply for this section of the population as well.
There was a time, some ye when, largely due fo the activities of the now defunct Constitutional Reform Association, which had quite Jorge and influential membership, an unofficial majority on the Legislative Council was in favour. Later came 9 realization that, under such a system, special Interests might control the government. Such feeling as row, exists on the subject inclines in the direction of retaining oMciai predominance, but making due provi-Sion for direct election of unoficals, excepting, -possibly, those chosen by the Chamber of Commerce and the Justices of Peace. The demand Is modest In character, and there seems adequate reason why it should not be granted, the more so when It Is borne in mind that Europeans are. making their homes here to a for greater extent to-day than ever before in the history of the Colony.
"Disgrace to Land of Birth"
Resentment has been expressed, in the Press, and freely in conversation, some remarks, made at a missionary meeting in England, by the Rev. E. H.C. Tribbeck, until recently minister of the English Methodist Church in Hongkong, which are considered to have given a wholly unwarranted and distorted Impression to people at Home of the life led by young Englishmen In. this Colony. Coneeding that the British civilian population, "mostly Government Servants," are a credit to Britain, Mr. Tribbeck went on fo say: "But there are many Englishmen who are fa disgrace to the land of their birth ud the enemies of all missionary work. In the name of God." he deelamed, "why do we allow such Arunken, foul-living creatures to go abroad and represent us to the peoples of the world "—a remark greeted bby applause. One loca} journal, in commenting on the subject, does not deny that there are a few black sheep In the Colony, but adds that they are on no Sense typical of the place they are to be found everywhere. By and large," remarks the editor. we should.say that the young man: hood of Hongkong is to-day far more serious-tHinking and more moral clean than at any time in its history."
Another newspaper regrets that Mr, Tribbeek, in adopting the role of crusader, was not sufciently dis criminative, and that he did not speak as strongly while he was in when his strictures would wwe been more effective and could have been challenged with belter prospect of understanding. But the Journal takes occasion to point out that prestige can only be m: thined by conduct, adding "Drunkenness and bad language are not the only sins: there are also corruption and brutality."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.