20.
140
plus $204 per annum as shroff of the Gunpowder Depot plus $240 per annuş from the Sailor's Home. But there were 49 applicants: among them Chau Sik of whom Mr Osborne, Secretary of the Wharf and Godown Company and now a member of Legis- lative Council, wrote on 28th February 1908 "I can confidently
recommend him for the post. He has been with us 9 years and gets $60 per mensem. I shall be sorry to lose him and would
not recommend an ordinary Chinaman; nor would I let him go but that I understand the post is worth a good deal more than we can
afford". In commenting on this ar Fletcher, Acting Assistant Colonial Secretary) wrote on 3rd March 1908: - "The popularity of these posts in the Harbour Department is, as has been pro- viously pointed out, somewhat amazing when compared with the
demand for posts in other departmente. Mr Osborne possibly
gives the reason in his note attached to the application of Chau Sik, namely that the applica@nj recommended in changing a salary of $720 per annus for ongor 3684 per annum expocts to
get a good deal more out of the Harbour Department than out of the Godown Company". (0.0.0. 1272/08)
18.
Commander Taylor says (pars 8) that the Chinese Junior clerks in his department were constantly changing, being sent to him for training, and, when approaching efficiency, taken
away to some other department. But the attached list showe that (apart from those Harbour Office clerks who had transfer to
other departments forced upon them because they were mad undor suspicion of malpractices) not a single Chinese clerk has during
Commander Taylor's regime been transferred from the Harbour office or Mercantile Marine Office to any offices save those of
the Marine Surveyor, the Superintendent of Imports and Exports, and to the Gunpowder depot, all of which offices are connected
with the Harbour Department. Mr Chan Pui-sam has, since Commander
Taylor went on leave, been transferred to the Crown Solicitor's
office: but, as he was one of the clerks against whom charges
were brought in connection with the defalcations by Wong Hau-nam,
th