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to be done. At the same time they are anxious to select an officer whose qualifications will be such as will enable him to deal with the questions put before him.
I am,
therefore, to ask if His Excellency the Governor would kindly inform the Railway Board in more detail exactly what the work will be that this officer will have to deal with.
Answers to the following questions would tend to facilitate a final selection:-
(1) Is the officer to have executive control over the working of your section of the Kowloon-Canton Railway, if so, in what capacity, viz;-
(A) General Manager of the whole line,
(B) or Traffic Manager only.
(2) Should he be qualified as an engineer, either mechanical or civil or both?
(3) Is he to have nothing to do with the working of the railway and is simply required as a railway adviser to the Hongkong Government on all railway questions that may arise, and should therefore have general experience of railway working? If so he would apparently not be required until such time as both the British and Chinese sections were approaching completion.
(4) As bearing also on the question of selection. What salary would be offered?
(5) Might the appointment be extended to a period of more than three years?
(6) What allowances in the way of free passage, house accommodation and travelling allowances would be permissible?
From the information before the Board it would appear that your own line is only 20 miles long and for the purposes of working such a small system it should be possible to select a man who could combine the duties of Traffic Manager with those of Engineer and Loco: Superintendent if an officer to carry out such work was required.
Such an officer would be capable of carrying on all negotiations regarding an agreement with the Chinese Railway
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