Colonial Secretary's Office,
Hongkong, 21st. April, 1909.
C.-O. 19727
2500
az 14 JUNTO
I am directed to inform you that the Governor has given careful consideration to your letter of the 30th. of March, and to the Memorial from the Acting Second Master which accompanied it, on the subject of the proposed transfer of Mr. G. A. Woodcock, Secretary to the Sanitary Board, to be Second Master at Queen's College in the event of your own promotion to be Headmaster.
2. The reasons urged by you and Mr. Ralphs, who represent in this matter the European Staff of Queen's College, are that promotion thereby would be blocked; that owing to long absence from the College Mr. Woodcock has lost touch with educational work; that Mr. Woodcock has never filled any position in an educational institution higher than that of a Class Master and that he is therefore lacking in administrative experience.
3. In reply to these objections I am to point out that if His Excellency's recommendation is approved substantial promotion will be given to the European Staff by your appointment to be Headmaster, and that recently the additional appointment of Normal Master at a salary of $3,000 - $3,600 per annum was created and given to Mr. Ralphs.
4. Mr. Woodcock joined Queen's College in 1890. He has therefore eight years longer service in the College than the Normal Master Mr. Ralphs and nine years longer service than the most Senior of Senior Assistant Masters - Mr. Grant. Woodcock had 10 years experience as a Master at Queen's College before his transfer to the Sanitary Board. His reputation for capacity in teaching was, it is understood, high; and his duties at the Sanitary Board are of a nature...