I regret that owing to pressure of work and the short-handed state of the office, certain letters to Singapore were not properly copied into the register. I can only again plead severe pressure of work, the short-handed state of the office, my multifarious duties as senior, in superintending all the other work as well as doing my own share of it, and to humbly apologise for any apparent negligence or carelessness.
In conclusion, may I be permitted to call attention to the fact that these are the first complaints against me in years, that they all occurred at a time when the office was admittedly short of two efficient men, and when, in consequence of the then recent changes in the Government of the Department, things were in a somewhat unsettled state.
With a better system of management and more rigorous control and distribution of the work, there will be an entire cessation of incidents like the above.
I can only say that if His Excellency will deem it sufficient punishment for partly wholly unintentional failings to reprimand me, I promise to receive it with all deference and respect and to avoid all similar offences in the future, giving to the work of the Post Office all my energy and all my zeal.
(signed) J. A. Barradas.