To my mind, before'a federal Government is set up, there would certainly be
a great advantage in having a regional authority to deal' with matters of this sort
on a regional as opposed to a colony basis, and this very arrangement, I submit,
would tend to hasten, rather than retard our progress towards federation.
 It is interesting to observe that only a few moments ago the Honourable
Members who moved and seconded this motion, respectively, agreed to .the terms of
a Currency Bill which provides for -the Unification of currency throughout the
eastern British Caribbean area. Apparently they had no objection in 'principle
to such a body as a Currency Board (which would be a body with regional scope)
being set up before Federation comes into existence, therefore, I-cannot see how
Honourable Members could logically object in. principle..to the setting up of a
pre-federal Public Service, Commission for the Civil Services of the-individual
Colonies, when it is borne in mind that the work of both the Public Se'rvices
Commission afnd the Currency Board would be on a regional basis. In the: same
way as the Currency Board has been set up and will.function, I submit that the
Public Services Commissioni can be set up to function to the advantage of the
Colonies as a group.
 Most of the arguments adduced by the Mover of the Motion against the Civil
 Service Memorandum, such as the housing problem, could be applied to other
 federal bodies: If you argue that it is impossible to have a unified service on
 account of the housing shortage, then the same question would arise on a
 federation of the Colonies.
 I do not think that the Memorandum by.the Civil Service Association has
 been fully appreciated, because the Public Service Commission is intended to be a
 Commission divorced from politics, whose functions 'would be to examine the
 cases of officers for promotion and transfer in the same way as it would function
 uindeir Federation.
 The whole point is that the unification is a means of speeding up matters of
 promotion etc., in the Civil Service before the Federal Government is set up. If
 the Federal Government came into force immediately it may not b 'necessary. to
 set up such a Commission before Federation, but pending the coming into,
 operation of a Federal-Government such a Commission would be of definite'
 advantage in bringing the Colonies closer together in 'matters concerning civil
 service personnel afd providing.a broader and more general outlook, th is paving
 the way to Federation. You will then get the various Colonies thinking regionally
 rather than individually.
 We should not question the Commission's Report on the ground that it will
 produce difficulties. I think it would be well 'to ask oui'selves the following
 question : -Is the report going to-present difficulties now or is it 'g. ig to prove an
 advantage before Federation is achieved? I say quite definitely that advantages
 will accrue now, because it may be some time before Federation is established, and
-it is well to pave the way now by establishing a Public-Se rvice Comnmissioi 'o that
the experience gained may be available to the Colonies on the establishment of
Federation. I consider that there are great advantages to be gained by the, setting
up of a Public Services Commission, and strongly recommend to this Council
acceptance of the Report of the Commission on the Unification of the Public
Services in the British Caribbean.

 Honourable E. A. C. Hughes : Your Honour, I beg leave to second the motion
 moved by the Honourable Crown Attorney, and in the first instance I must,
 apologise for being a bit obtuse while listening 'to all the arguments arid long
 quotations by the mover of the first motion. There is certainly a great deal of -