staff of 2nd class clerks, or from the staffs at the other large Public Departments, a man would have some knowledge, and who might be willing to come out here. At the same time, he would get for the salary he would, they might be procurable, or none such on the Secretary of State might prefer to offer Hongkong Clerkship for competition along with the second class clerkships of the Home Civil Service, which are competed for every year.
As regards the limits of age, we consider from 20 to 25 the best. By 20 a man is fully grown and able to contend with the climate, while it is improbable that he would at that age have a wife or children to support.
In the case, however, of local candidates, it is different. The sons of residents leave school about 17 and seek employment at once. They are acclimatized and in order to give them a chance of securing the Service, we would widen the limits of age to 18 and 28 for local appointments.
The raising of the age is to render possible the appointment of men who may have come out for some other career. It frequently happens that applications are received from men who have been employed in new business houses and who have lost their employment through no fault of their own, and it might often be desirable to employ such men in the Service.
The raising of the age would also open the door to promotion to the Masters of the Victoria College, some of whom would gladly avail themselves of such a chance of advancement. We believe that that Institution would benefit thereby.
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