70
Auditor.
33
The Commissioners appear to have misconceived some what the position of Executive Engineers. They are in full control of their sub-departments. The first two sentences of paragraph 40 state exactly the position of the Director of Public Works as it is today. Executive Engineers already correspond with the public direct and are encouraged to do so. To permit Executive Engineers to minute direct in C.S.0. files would, except in routine cases, lead to delay and confusion. The Secretariat should deal with the head of the department after he has settled his views with his subordinates, and not with subordinate officers. The proposals of the Commissioners would tend to be subversive of discipline within the Department.
Baragraph 42. Instructions have been given that vacancies are not to be filled, except where absolutely necessary, and the Director of Public Works has been instructed to explore to the utmost the possibility of replacing the European Subordinate Staff by Chinese officers.
Paragraph 43. The Crown Lands and Surveys Architectural and Building Ordinance, and Electrical Offices are each specialist and closed sub-departments, so also to all intents and purposes are Waterworks and Port Development; this accounts for every sub- department except Drainage and Roads. accomplished fact.
KOWLOON- CANTON RAILWAY.
Specialisation is thus an
The recommendation in the second paragraph will
receive the sympathetic consideration of Government when the
present Manager of the Railway retires. Similarly the question of promoting a Chinese (rather than appointing a Portuguese) to the
post
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