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Mr. A.G.M.Fletcher a much junior Cadet to several others in the Colony continues to hold the post of Assistant Colonial Secretary and yet is put into act as Colonial Secretary whenever opportunity occurs.
In the majority of Crown Colonies the post of Assistant Colonial Secretary is filled by a fairly junior officer who is certainly not put into act as Colonial Secretary but that position is filled temporarily by one of the most Senior Civilians in the Colony. Such a position as obtains in Hongkong can only be due to slackness or favouritiem and gives Mr. Fletcher an entirely wrong idea of his own position and of what is due from him to the Heads of other Departments.
Mr. Fletcher acted as Colonial Secretary during Sir Claud Severn's leave in 1923 and ever since that period Mr. Fletcher has continued to have his name printed in the telephone books of 1924 and 1925 (which books are passed by him) as that of the Hon Mr. A.G.M.Fletcher and his address given as that of the Colonial Secretary's residence inspite of the fact that he has not lived there since 1923 and though it might have been inserted at first owing to inadvertance and to the fact that Mr. Fletcher was on leave it has not been corrected since his return some eight months ago
doubtless a small matter but it serves to shew the kind of outlook possessed by the Assistant Colonial Secretary. He has been known during the same period to sign papers from the Colonial Secretary's Office in the same way. Such things could not occur elsewhere and would not be tolerated by the rightful owner of the title and certainly not by the Governor of any other Colony.
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