Archant C.F.A.G, who is just retiring, has been rather going out of his way to look for allusions in the men in his Office; & I believe them to be a mistake, as the bulk of the work of checking or examining Accounts, whether in a Treasurer's or an Auditor's Office, must be done by Clerks of accuracy, method, experience, rather than of education.
I therefore think that, quite apart from here being considered for Mr. Drayson's appointment, Mr. Harris should look through his applicants for probationers in the Colonial Service, and see whether someone of better claim than Mr. Crosser cannot be found for this particular post.
Jes/29/2 Sir M. Nathan (1) Mr. Grayson can have the leave* I admit the force of Mr. Round's arguments but I think that under the circumstances it would be a great convenience to Sir M. Nathan to have Mr. Crofton & that therefore the appointment should be approved.
CPL 27 Grut. * Gral dept & note this decision Pt. 31 Into ahauge 30/12 Alter We have been told that Opposuere you will have draft to Audit Office prepared as to appoints. malofw.critän er M.Bragianis fucccur. MY/31/1~
No.406 Hongkong. Lov 14090 sir. 376 C.O 42640 Government House, 17 JC 041 Hongkong, 18th November, 1904.
In your Despatch No. 144 dated the 5th May last you decided to defer, pending the expression of my wishes in the matter, any steps towards selecting a successor to Mr. M. J. Drayson who was seconded from the Colonial Office in January, 1902, to be Chief Clerk in the Colonial Secretary's Office here on a salary of £500 a year rising by annual increments of £20 to £600, and who under the arrangement made at the time of his appointment will return to the Colonial Office after such leave as may be granted to him on the completion of 3 years service in this Colony on the 22nd February, 1905.
I have carefully considered this question of a successor to Mr. Drayson and have discussed it at length with the Colonial Secretary. I should have liked to have been able to recommend that the appointment should be added to those of Class III that are to be held as a rule by Officers of the Cadet Civil Service. This would have helped to meet the complaint that has at various times been put forward of the small number of substantive appointments to which Cadets can be promoted in this Colony, while it would have given the Cadet selected a close insight into the working of the Colonial Secretary's
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
800.
ALFRED LYTTELTON, K.C., M.P.,
&C.,
200...