Villa Roth, Benerley, B.P.O. Gravesend
1st February 1897
C.O.
620
2278
REC
(REG 4 FEB 97)
:
Sir,
I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 26th January last, enclosing copy of "Despatch" No 402 of 15th December last from H.E. the Governor of Hong Kong, regarding the appointment of a Musketry Instructor and Store Keeper to the Hong Kong Police, and offering my observations thereon.
The arrangements made by His Excellency amount to a recurrence to the old system by which a European Sergeant or Private Constable was put in charge of the stores, and a drill instructor was furnished by the Garrison on payment, except that the arrangement for drill instruction is far more economical than when a commissioned officer was employed, and I believe equally efficient.
Nevertheless, I venture respectfully to submit that, in my opinion, the economy of this plan is more apparent than real, and for the following reasons.
1. A Police Sergeant told off as Store Keeper will have so much work to do, and is so much responsibility that he cannot be made available for other Police duty. The Police force is, therefore, weakened to the extent of the pay of a Store Keeper & drill instructor, and, as the pay of a "Police Sergeant" & Musketry Instructor would be very little more than that of a "Police Sergeant", and probably not more.
Under Secretary of State for the Colonies