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4 mos. vacation leave which he states was due to him; & apparently, he anticipated being able to take the leave while on furlough preparing it abroad & returning to Hong Kong finally resigning his appointment.
It might determine whether the furlough allowance was not a form of pay & that as he could not afford to go on leave for his health he ought to have been allowed to use it as he liked; & further points out that several Imperial officers drawing differential & Colonial pay, the furlough allowance should be held to be a form of pay. He also points out cases of officers who went on leave & retired at its expiration without having to refund their half pay.
There are no doubt cases of this kind although they are strictly speaking irregular.
It affects from evil. It is that the Hong Kong Government gave him furlough leave of absence without pay (for which he applied in the first instance 2nd July) so that his appointment in Hong Kong might be left open for his return.
Encl. I was unfortunate as it was ambiguous & Mr. Dennys assumed from it that he might have not merely leave but half pay leave (cl. 2 of head 19) which was his technical right. Sir J. Hay was very much on his side, but I think Mr. Warner might have been more liberally treated, nor do I understand why he