118
10. I consider Mr. Walter well suited for the post both as regards his training and experience, and his knowledge of Chinese in general and of the Northern dialect in particular, renders him specially qualified to discharge its duties. I therefore recommend that he be appointed Secretary to Government.
11. If my recommendation be approved, it will not be necessary to retain the post of Financial Assistant, the salary of which is £300 a year. The Secretary to Government can also discharge the duties of Magistrate on the Island, whereby a saving of $600 a year will be effected.
As I have stated above, no successor has been appointed to the vacancy created by Mr. Dupree's death, so that there is a saving under this head of $2,000 a year.
The present clerical and interpretation staff is, however, merely a makeshift, and I estimate that an expenditure of $2,000 a year will be necessary to place it on a proper footing.
12.
The cost of the establishment which I now propose will be:- Commissioner
Secretary to Government
Clerical and Interpretation Staff
$15,000
5,000
2,000
$22,000
In the draft estimates for this year provision is made for the following Staff :-
Commissioner
:-
$15,000
Assistant Commissioner
5,000
Financial Assistant
1,800
Secretary and Interpreter (paid out of Island expenses) Interpreter (paid out of Island expenses)
2,000
360
Allowance to Magistrate (paid out of Island expenses)
600
$24,760
22815
119
No. 107A.
COLONIAL OFFICE to ADMIRALTY.
[Answered by 32515: nst printed, agreeing to publication, and by No. 111.] (Confidential.)
SIR,
Downing Street, July 29, 1902. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Chamberlain to transmit to you, to be laid before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, a printed copy of a despatch* from the late Acting Commissioner of Wei-Hai-Wei, enclosing a report by Mr. G. T. Hare, the Acting Assistant Commissioner, upon the condition and prospects of the Dependency.
2. I am to enquire whether their Lordships see any objection to Appendix
I. to Mr. Hare's report being presented to Parliament without alteration. The body of the report it is proposed to treat as confidential.
3. Mr. Chamberlain would also be glad to be informed whether their Lordships have yet arrived at any decision as to what Admiralty lands at Wei-Hai-Wei will be required and retained by the naval authorities, and as to the strength of the guard to be maintained on Liu Kung Tao to protect the naval establishments.
31385
No. 108.
I am, &c.,
C. P. LUCAS.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 882
6
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
My proposals, therefore, show a saving of $2,760 on the expenditure provided in the original estimates, and there will be no difficulty in finding funds this to meet the cost of my recommendations if they are approved.
year
13. In conclusion I wish to point out that my recommendations are based on a desire to combine efficiency with economy, and to repeat what I have already stated in previous despatches, that I am fully alive to the importance of not incurring expenditure except when absolutely necessary and of not exceeding the amount pro- vided in this year's. estimates.
29812
SIR,
I have, &c.,
J. H. STEWART LOCKHART,
Commissioner.
No. 107.
COLONIAL OFFICE to SIR T. JACKSON.
[Answered by No. 122.]
Downing Street, July 29, 1902.
I am directed by Mr. Secretary Chamberlain to inform you, with reference to your recent interview at this Office, that a letter* has been received from the Treasury,. stating that the Lords Commissioners see no objection to the proposal that a branch should be established at Wei-hai-wei by the Hong-Kong and Shanghai Banking Cor- poration; and that they will be prepared upon receipt of a formal application from the hank to give their consent to the establishment in the form required by the Hong-Kong Ordinance, No. 29, of 1889.
Mr. Chamberlain, as he informed the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, is of opinion that the opening of a branch of your bank at Wei-hai-wei would be of great advantage to that dependency.
• No. 103.
I am,
&c.,
C. P. LUCAS.
SIR,
COMMISSIONER LOCKHART to MR. CHAMBERLAIN. (Received July 31, 1902.)
(Confidential.)
Government House, Wei-hai-Wei, June 19, 1902.- WITH reference to my despatch, No. 29, of the 5th instant,† on the subject of a Police Force and military garrison for Wei-hai-Wei, I have the honour to enclose herewith a copy of an extract of a note which I have just received from Major-General Sir William Gascoigne, General Officer Commanding at Hong-Kong, in reply to an enquiry from me as to whether one company of white or Indian troops could be spared from the Hong-Kong garrison.
2. In my despatch referred to above I have suggested a garrison of two or three companies of white or Indian troops, but when I wrote to the General Officer Commanding at Hong-Kong I did not consider two or three companies would be
necessary.
3. If, however, there would be any difficulty in supplying two or three com- panies, a smaller garrison than that recommended by me might be tried as an experiment, though I am of opinion that it would be advisable to have at least two companies, and judging from Sir William Gascoigne's note, I think it might be easily arranged to procure two companies from Hong-Kong.
I have, &c.,
J. H. STEWART LOCKHART,
Enclosure in No. 108.
Commissioner.
Sir WILLIAM GASCOIGNE (General Officer Commanding at Hong-Kong) to Commissioner LOCKHART. (Extract.)
Headquarter House, Hong-Kong, May 27, 1902 In reply to your letter of the 8th instant respecting a possible garrison for Wei-hai-Wei, in the event of the disbandment of the Chinese Regiment, my views are as follows:-
Europeans. I would not raise any objection to one company of the European Regiment of Infantry quartered here being sent to Wei-hai-Wei, if the whole
† No. 102.
• No. 96.