(
Watson
+ 31769/07
Craigs.
Your 28081/10.
minute
kpw.
197
a detail which has not before, I believe, been mentioned in this connection, that the principal allegations against this Officer, with respect to alleged misconduct on his part in the Mercantile Marine Office were made by Captain Pybus R.N.R, Master of the Sk "Empress of Japan", who, I an informed, has never been inside that Office in his life.
10. Shortly after this, Mr Guterres retired on pension. My recommendations as to his successor were ignored, and a man with no knowledge of maritime affairs, or of accountant work, was appoin- -ted, with the result that a considerable portion (out of all pro- -portion to its importance) of my time, and that of the Assistant Harbour Easter, had to be devoted to that Office, (which is situated a mile away from the Harbour Office), in order to teach him his work, which, as neither of us professes to be an accountant, was scarcely within our province. This Officer died in September 1900, and was succeeded, again in spite of my protests, by a man whom no other Department would have, who had no knowledge of the work, and would not listen to advice. I made several representations as to his unsuitability for the post, but without avail.
11.
In November 1909, Mr Botelho, 1st Clerk, Farbour Office, died, and, at once, Br Chan Pui, Accountant, came and infor- -med me of certain small irregularities which had crept in, recent- -ly, with his connivance, and had only been rendered possible by the failing health of Mr Botelho. I remedied these, and made such arrangements as would prevent their repetition.
12.