12?
ICE HEADQUARTERS,
HONG KONG.
April, 1948.
124
THE RIGHT HONOUR Fay, 199L OF LISTOVEL,
MINISTER OF C
MY LORD,
Cor ONIAL ON, MÜN,
LONDON.
JOLONIAL AFFAIRS,
to Hong Kong (25)
4
During your visit to Hong Kone you so inly granted me
an interview at which I brought to your notice matters relating
to the Pre-War European Officers.
The time factor made it impossible for me to raise all
points, consequently I only touched upon the fringe of the case,
the following will, I am sure 9ir, be of value to you and is
truthfully the case of the Pre-ar Officer. I have documentary
evidence to support this case and copies of same are attached.
In effect My Lord, the case commences and continues as
1.
follows :-
Under the Hong Kong Police Force Ordinance No. 37 of 1932
the Pre-War Officer was recruited on contract and regulated thereby,
also that local Government General Orders applied in relation to
many and varied conditions, one of which, G.O. No. 12, copy attached
at 15 safeguarded Seniority Rights, and Section 12 (1) (2) (3)
at 16
(4) and (5), of the saia Police Force Ordinance grants power to the Commissioner of Police to make regulations to govern the Force, 80 between this Ordinance and Government General Orders, the "Life"
of the Pre-War Officer was governed. By this Sir, I wish to imply
that promotion in the Force was by the "dead men's "hoes" system,
probably not a perfect or democratic system but as it existed from
the birth of the force up to the outbreak of the Pacific War, surely,
if a change were necessary, then the existing rights of those
qualified hould be safeguarded and as the said Ordinance and Government General Orders have not been amended the sys tem must
emain the same, failing which the original contract of employment
is violated.
During the course of our career we had promotion ars, having passed these, and being of good conduct, one waited for a vacancy to occur, therefore nothing could alter the Commissi ɔner
and