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the acting appointment has been for so short a period that
the acting officer could not possibly become "au courant"
with his new work before he reverted to his former post.
Not only does the acting officer take up his new duties
without any special knowledge of the work in hand or the
views held by the permanent head (for which he must consult
his juniors and spend much time in reading up back records,)
but he is perhaps less likely to defer to those views and
to continue the policy of the permanent head than would he
the assistant head of the department who has been associated
with the work of his chief in the past and will continue
to be associated with him on his return.
4.
After an experience of over 34
years in this Colony I have arrived at the conclusion, that
if the principle I advocate is both possible and expedient
in an African Colony with its kaleidoscopic changes due to
the frequency of leave, it is still more possible and
expedient in a Colony where every department is more high-
-ly specialised and demands knowledge and experience of a
very technical kind.
5.
On the other hand the fact that
officers take leave for a period of a year
and more at a
time naturally forbids too rigid an application of the
principle,