f
350
language as he was on the institution of the office on the
recommendation of Sir R. G. Macdonnell in paragraph 7 of
Despatch No. 179.of the 29th. of necember, 1866. I consider
67
Keene aff, that the Department has suffered greatly in the past and
still suffers from the want of an administrative officer
with a knowledge of Chinese and training in office work,
for duties outside the Imports and Exports Sub-department.
The Committee are of opinion
that the services of an Assistant Harbour Master cannot be
dispensed with.
In view of a pending re-organiza-
-tion of the Department in relation to junk traffic and
other matters I agree in that opinion, but if it were not
for the difficulty of providing a locum tenens for the
Harbour Master (who must be an Officer of the Navy or
Mercantile Marine) it would be much better that the
Assistant Harbour Master should be a Cadet Officer and if
means could be found of providing as above for the con-
-tingency of the absence of the Harbour Master I would
strongly urge the change when an opportunity offers.
This
is a question that I propose to discuss with Sir P.
Lugard.
6.
The report of Mr. Percebois,
his