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have the force of older members of tradition among the Public Works Department in Hongkong, orige that they appointed to perform certain duties and work duties. Carnot be expected to assist in the nent outside those of the Department.
My view is that every official of the Department should be prepared to carry out work as directed by the Surveyor General from time to time, provided he is qualified for the performance of the duties required of him. Should the Surveyor General require any official to do anything unreasonable, the matter can at once be referred to His Excellency the Governor, but it is not probable that any official appointed by the Department as Surveyor General would so act.
I am therefore of opinion that for an official to attempt to make conditions as to what duties he shall, and shall not perform is opposed to the first principles of discipline. Mr. Malsch objected to responsibility for field work in connection with land surveys. Now, although the greater part of the field work would necessarily devolve on the Assistant Land Surveyor, it is clearly the duty of the Officer in charge of the Land Survey to satisfy himself of the accuracy of the work done, and in case of need, i.e., should the work fall in arrears, or the Assistant Land Surveyor be invalided, it would be necessary for Mr. Maloch to undertake the field work.
As regards the question of the appointment of Assistant Surveyor General, I submit that the Surveyor General should be in a better position than any subordinate Official of the Department to recommend the official best qualified to fill that post.
As the transfer of Mr. Bowdler from the appointment of Assistant Surveyor General to that of "Special Engineer" to...