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OP Y.
Extract from Minute of 20th. December, 1910,
203
by His Excellency the Governor.
8521
Hon. Colonial Secretary,
REC Prof 16 MAR 11
I spoke this morning with yourself and Mr.
Stubbs.
6.
the
I should also like to see the system of
appointing officers to act in their own department instead of
transfers from other departments more fully carried out. In the
technical departments this is of course necessary (P.V.D. and
Medical). It is also largely necessary in the legal depart-
-mont (Assistant Crown Solicitor for Crown Solicitor &c.). The
fact that other Government departments are almost equally
technical should be more fully recognised. This would in fact
be to recognise the principle for which I have alway's contended
that the interests of the work and of the public service
should take precedence of the interests of the individuel. The
Assistant Registrar-General should act for Registrar-General,
the Assistant Colonial Secretary for the Colonial Secretary,
Inspector of Schools for the Director of Education and so on.
Where there is no second officer special arrangements will be
recognised o.g. the Postmaster-General and Treasurer will act
for each other and as a consequence the appointment of post-
-master-Gonoral would carry with it some xxi claim to the
Treasury appointment. This rule should not of course be inflex-
-ible, but entirely discretional to the Governor, who ray on
occasion desire the Head of a Second Class appointment to act
for a 1st. class officer with a view to qualifying him for promotion to that post (and so with a 3rd. for a 2nd.). In such cases it would be generally understood that the selection was for the specific purpose of testing a man's capacity in the higher post because the Government had him in view for eventual promotion to that post if he proved his capacity. At present the (as I think improper) system obtains that every officer looks upon it as a right that he should leave the technical duties of which he is permanently in charge in order to act in a post
which