helozure 20.10
Government Civil Hospital
Surg. L. No. R/82
Sir,
Hong-Kong 11th April, 1895.
331
I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of C. S. Letter N0724
Wardmaster Cumming was several times under the influence of liquor
during the Plague Epidemic. At that time it was necesnaty to overlook
faults of this description otherwise we would have bad work almost
trought to a standstill, I however warned him that any such delinquencie
་
a
would be dealt with more seriously the future and when October
}
12th I felt it necessary to issue the order regarding alcoholic liquor
(and which had your approbation) I did so in the attempt to keep the
subordinate officers sober when in the exercise of their duty. Ward
master Cumming was then very bustle indeed about the matter and promis
ed to amend his ways. If he had not done so he would have been reported
to you at once to be dealt with by His Excellency the Governor. There
is not the slightest doubt that had Cumming not been engaged in plague
work I would have been compelled to have called attention to his
conduct much sooner.
cannot have any animosity against the
man, Cumming has evidently mistaken my determination to have responsible
work carried out by sober men for animosity. By asking my consent to
each introduction of liquor, enogh would have been allowed for ordinar]
at the same time at Efficient and
dictetic purposes and straight forward check would have been kept over
A
the amount of liquor introduced into the Asylums.
Th. B. C. Ayres, C. M. G.
The