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These transfers take place continu. ally.-E. W.

by competitive examination exactly on all fours

with the Indian Civil Service ; ̧

(2) to leave matters exactly as they are now ; (3) some combination of (1) and (2).

It is not difficult to foresee the class of objection that must necessarily be raised if the first alternative is seriously proposed. It will be said that the conditions obtaining in different groups of Colonies differ so greatly, that the transfer of a man from the West Coast of Africa to the West Indies, or from the West Indies to the Straits Settlements, could only lead to decreased efficiency of administra- tion.

Again, it is no doubt true that in some Colonies, especially in the West Indian Colonies, the change would be highly unpopular because many of the native inhabitants of the West Indian Colonies, who now hold posts under Government, would not be able to obtain them if competitive examination were open to the whole Empire. Against these objections it may be fairly urged that the general efficiency all round would be greatly increased, though the special efficiency in certain places might be diminished, as the Colonial Office would then have in training a set of men who would be able to undertake any responsibility of our Colonial Empire, and that, whereas now some men spend the whole of their time in a healthy climate, and others in an unhealthy one, unhealthy

But would not this ex- it would be a fairer arrangement if' all alike were clude altogether the family liable to terms of service in healthy and men, who simply will not climates. go to a bad climate ?-? F. R. R.

As regards the second alternative my personal

Yes. The result of such opinion is that it stands condemned and that the an arrangement would be responsibility rests on the Colonial Office to resetie the elimination of the few the Colonial Service from that class of Governor to apable men that we get which I have already alluded.

now.-R. L, A.

Are unmarried men in- capable -F. G.

This has been and is con-

ride, selected by 'wholly

The third alternativé is a compromise between the first two and would no doubt take some such form as this. The principle of the Eastern Colonial Civil Service being adopted, a West Indian or an African Colonial Service might be instituted, similarly recruited by competitive examination, while appointments to miscellaneous Colonies not included in either of these three categories might remain the personal appointments of the Secretary of State as heretofore.

Or again, as Mr. Olivier has suggested to me, a stantly being tried. It in- certain proportion of appointments in each group volves putting men side by of Colonies might be filled by competitive examin- different standards and ation regulated by the Civil Service Commission, having wholly different and a certain proportion might be reserved for the qualifications.-C. P. L. native born inhabitants of those Colonies, who would have little chance of success in a competitive examination open to the whole Empire.

I have not attempted to do more in this Memor- andum than barely touch on the outlines of a great question, because I understood your instructions to be simply that I should furnish you with materials which you could, if you wished, circulate to the Departments of the Colonial Office for their obser vations, and that on the perusal of these observations

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CO 885

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