1
17
I
the goal of their ambition and if they are to be
excluded from Hong Kong will feel that they have been
hardly treated. It will affect other officers
also as, if a man outside the service is appointed to Hong Kong, there will be no "consequential" promotions within the service.
-
(ii) If Ceylon and Straits or either of them
follow suit by raising the salaries of their Chief
Justices to £3,000 and appointing outsiders and the
question of their doing so is almost bound to follow-
the hardship of men already within the service will
be increased pro tanto.
(iii) It is doubtful whether with a salary
of £3,000 you would be able to get the man for the
job at the Bar here. What is wanted presumably is
a fairly young man, (say not more than 45) with a pretty
big commercial practice. Such men are now earning very large incomes indeed here and men who may be
will earning less than £3,000 but have their foot on the
A
ladder have too good prospects at home to want to
go out to Hong Kong.
It would I think resolve itself into
selecting a promising junior who had a fair general
practice here and might or might not turn out a
success on the Bench in Hong Kong.
He would be
nearly as much a "lottery" as every young barrister is
whan we send out to fill a minor legal post in the
Colonies. We do our best on their records etc.
their berney a success. but we as not guarantee they do their best in the
Colonial service.
(iv) In my opinion it cannot often happen
that the Colonial legal service does not contain a
man
was A-C, thre 812-1914
HA
top29
man who after working his way up towards the to is fully competent to hold the Chief Justiceship of Hong Kong or Ceylon or the Straits. It is not I think the case at present.
+
I hope the present Chief Justice with
of course the loyal co-operation of the members of the Bar who only desire to be reformed will be
able to do much before he retires, but if he does
not entirely succeed there are men now in the service
who have the requisite energy and ability and have
had experience as practising barristers in this
Country and elsewhere.
If the salary were increased to £3,000
or even to £2,500 either Sir A. Bertram or Sir J.
Bucknill would probably take the post and fill it admirably. The latter in particular is decidedly
10
a"strong" Judge, who knows the conditions in Hong Kong and would have no qualms in dealing with abuses by the local legal profession.
If the salary were to remain at £2,000 such
Sir A. Coll of Jamaica or Sir B. Frere of Gibraltar
might on the next vacancy be trusted to act with
firmness and sound discretion as Chief Justice of
Hong Kong.
men ad
Such appointments are however for the
future, and and one possibility does occur to me for the immediate present, viz. that an exchange might be considered between Sir A. Bertram and Sir W. Rees
Davies, on the assumption of course that both were
willing and also the two Governors concerned. Sir
A Bertram would come fresh to the business, would be hampered by no past complaisance on his own part (as the present Chief Justice may be to some extent) and if properly posted by the Governor as to the
attitude