COPY.
574
Hon. Col. Seo,
With reference to the death of Mr. T. H. Martin late
Superintendent Registration and Parcel Branch I do not
think it will be possible to obtain a successor from home
during the period of the war and I am not at present aware
of any suitable candidate already in the Government service
who could take his place. I propose therefore to recommend
subject to the approval of His Excellency the Governor, and
to the consent of His Excellency the General Officer
Commanding (who should I think be approached in the first instance) that Serjeant Cooper, 4th King's Shropshire Light
Infantry who is a Postal Clerk by profession and has had
14 years service in the General Post Office at home as
telegraphist and as a Postal Clerk in all the General
Branches of the General Post Office be offered the temporary
appointment so as to fill the gap until arrangements of
a more permanent nature can be made. It must of course
be understood that should Serjeant Cooper be called out
for active operations he will be allowed to return to his
unit immediately and that he is seconded for service under
the local General Post Office subject to his proviso.
2.
I have personally ascertained that provided the consent of His Excellency the General Officer Commanding is obtained neither the Commanding Officer Major Harris-Edge nor the Officer Commanding Signalling Section of the 4th K. S. L. L Lieutenant Kinchen Smith have any objections to offer to my proposals. Serjeant Cooper himself whom I have now known for close on 12 months in connection with Signalling work and who is an energetic and painstaking man is willing
to