No 241.
m
Sir,
5252/39 /55
GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
HONG KONG.
31st March, 1939.
In accordance with Colonial Regulation 278 I have the honour to request your authority for the writing off of $104.17 salary overpaid to Mr. R.G. Witchell, until lately an officer of Class III of the Senior Clerical and Accounting Staff.
2.
Mr. Witchell was granted twelve days' casual leave on grounds of private affairs by the head of his department, the Commissioner of Police, on 25th November, 1938. On 14th December, 1938, he was reported not to have returned and subsequent enquiries indicated that he had left Shanghai (his original destination) for some unknown place.
3.
He was accordingly treated as having been dismissed as from 8th December, 1938. Before this could be made effective, however, his salary for December had been paid, in accordance with the usual practice, together with many other salaries into the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation to the credit of his account. The necessary legal steps were taken and the bulk of the overpaid salary was recovered; but there remain $60.14 not recoverable together with $44.03 legal fees to be reimbursed,
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
MALCOLM MACDONALD, M.P.,
&C.,
&C.,
&C.