into the Public Works department officers who by training and education "are not fitted for promotion to the higher Engineering appointment
say that I can hardly say this view, and in the view, in
The Governor
to
requisitions prepared by myself and forwarded to the Colonial Office", I have been careful to request that the officers selected for engineering Appointment "should have served his time under a Civil Engineer of good standing in the Profession, that he should have received a sound theoretical training as a Mathematician and have had considerable experience of field and out-door work, and that in my opinion in all cases (and more especially in a Colony like Hongkong) character, good social standing and good professional qualifications may be necessary in the officials selected.
It was because I was doubtful whether in some cases the minimum rates of Salary proposed by myself would be sufficient to secure the class of men we require, that I advised that considerable latitude should be allowed for increasing the salary if necessary.
As the senior of the Engineers, and after a long and varied professional experience both under Government and in general practice, I beg most respectfully to express the opinion I have gradually arrived at, that it would be in the interest of the Public Service, and of Engineers serving under Government, if the conditions in the Department were formed, and promotion took place more frequently from one Colony to another. To ensure a supply of qualified men it may be worth consideration whether it would not be well to found for the Colonies a technical College, or a school similar to Cooper's Hill, so that it might be found possible to train, with the Indian Government, a class of Colonial Engineers.
Although it might not be desirable or even possible to exclude Engineers not trained in such an institution, the having been trained in such a school should be good reason (such special qualification for a particular Service) for introducing the candidate. At present, so far as I can judge, there would appear to be no fixed rule laid down regarding the Engineering staff of the Crown Colonies. In some instances the Colonial Engineer General is a Royal Engineer, in others he is a Civil Engineer, and of the latter some men are derived.
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