COPY.
Sir,
1.
Government House,
Hongkong, 30th March, 1909.
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Your Honour's letter of the 25th instant relative to the changes in the staff of the Supreme Court Registry.
2.
The number of changes that have recently been necessary in the various Departments of the Service owing to death, leave and retirement is abnormal, and I regret that pending Mr. Seth's retirement and the appointment of a successor to Mr. Gompertz at the Magistracy there appears to be no prospect of obtaining finality in the matter.
3.
Mr. Hazeland's resumption of his substantive appointment of Second Magistrate has necessitated the transfer of Mr. Wood elsewhere, and as there was no suitable post in which he could act there was no course open but to let him, Mr. Melbourne and Mr. Bowen-Rowlands respectively resume their substantive appointments.
4.
I much regret that the work of the Registry should be disorganised as it has been of late by frequent changes in the personnel, but I hope that it will be possible before long so to arrange matters that the Staff of the Registry shall be called upon as rarely as possible to act in other Departments.
His Honour
The Chief Justice.
I have etc.,
(sd.) F. D. Lugard,
Governor, &c.