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(EARL OF SELBORNE.)

MR. CHAMBERLAIN,

THE foregoing minutes contain a vast deal

of experience, and are most interesting.

The general impression I derive from them is-

1. That a general service is not practicable in

the middle and lower grades.

2. That three groups of services may be feasible

and advisable.

3. That a committee could throw much light on

the question.

I would draw particular attention to-

1. Mr. Lucas's admirable statement of the case

and enumeration of practical reforms.

2. Sir E. Wingfield's whole minute.

3. Mr. Graham's suggestion of feeding the rest

of the Colonial Service from the Eastern Service,

where young men can commence work at 21.

4. Mr. Pearson's idea of “seconding" men from the Home Civil Service, and of securing uniformity in the pension laws and widow and orphans schemes.

5. Mr. Antrobus's proposal for a Patronage department in the Colonial Office.

My reply to Mr. Antrobus and Lord Ampthill's • Lord Selborne is mis- complaints of the difficulty of getting men for

taken. We frequently ad-

vertise, and the result is

generally a flood of hope-

West Africa is that we never advertise* our needs; no publicity is given to the existence of appoint less applicants. The Pri- ments and vacancies. Even without any examina- vate Secretaries have other tion I am sure that advertisement would bring us ways of making vacancies many useful men we never even hear of now.

To sum up, Mr. Lucas shews that for the highest grade of the service there is now one general interchangeable Colonial Civil Service. The question is, can that be extended? I believe it can, and that beyond that extension cadet services can be established, with local variations, for other groups of Colonies than the Eastern. I recognise absolutely the necessity for not cur- tailing the opportunities of Colonial · Government employment for the Colonial born. I would try and help the best of them to rise and go to the service of other Colonies than their own.

I am convinced that we should try and systema- tise the training of Colonial civil servants in the Colonial Office, that we should always have one or two here.

I end where I began. We do want a higher average among our Governors, and these minutes contain no suggestion for effecting that object which competes with the principles underlying mine. Moreover, no one denies our need.

9th August, 1899.

S.

known.-A.

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(MR. CHAMBERLAIN.)

I have read all these minutes with great care and interest. The subject is most important, and well worthy of further consideration.

Mr. Round speaks (as do others) of "Lord Selborne's scheme,” and he adds a reference to two addenda of mine. I have not come across any minutes of mine, and I suppose that "Lord Selborne's scheme" is wholly contained in 16215, 5th November, 1896.

All the minutes (except perhaps Mr. Mercer's) are opposed to a General close Civil Service for the Colonies, to be entered by examination.

I agree that the objections are insuperable. Of these objections climate is the most seribus, and I refer to it because it really lies at the root. of all our difficulties.

At present I suppose that not more than one man in three can stand the West African climate for more than, say, 10 years. What are we to do with the remaining two? We have few healthy

Colonies to deal with. Even those which are comparatively healthy, like British Guiana, are often impossible for men enervated by West African service. ~ Again, by the necessity of the case, we take inferior men for West Africa, and they are not good enough for some of the other Colonics.

If we could fix 5 or 10 years as the limit of every West African appointment, and promise transfer afterwards to a healthy climate, our course would be made easy for us. But unfortunately I see no hope of this.

There are certain points which arise on these minutes, and which suggest improvements, un which I desire further advice.

1. The possibility of borrowing from Home Service men for five years or so to go to West Africa and elsewhere, and on their return to take up again their duties at home.

2. The offer of West African appointments to those who fail in the examinations for the Eastern Service, but nevertheless do fairly well.

3. A general revision of all l'ension Regulations

and of the Widows' and Orphans' Fund.

a. To secure uniformity.

b. To reconsider conditions and to give greater

elasticity.

On this head I have been struck with the difficulty of getting rid of inefficient men who, without any special fault, are incompetent, but who have not made up the requisite term of service to secure an adequate allowance. It would be much cheaper in the long run to deal liberally with such men and to get rid of them, and if we could clabo- rate a reasonable scheme I would press it personally on the Treasury.

I think we should have power to grant allow ances to men who have broken down in health, even after short service, and to the widows and dependents of those who die in the service, and owing to the incidents of service, eg., Lady Max- well, Lady Broome, &c.

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e. I should like to attempt a scheme of pensions which would remove some of the prejudice attaching to them by making them appear more distinctly to be “re- served par." I would insist on a certain deduction from all salaries for this

pur- pose, to be met by a fixed contribution from the Colonies, according to a scale, and paid annually into a General Pension Fund, which should be guaranteed by the Imperial Government, which might either vote the deficiency annually or make a Axed annual contribution, to be revised from time to time according to expe- rience of the working. Thus, as an example, the figures of which may be altered after examination :-

A. goes to West Africa at £300 a year for five years, then to Jamaica at £800 a year for ten then Administrator at £1,000 a year for years, five

years, then Governor at £2,000 for three years, and at £4,000 for five years.

He pays 10% of his salary, viz. : 5 × 30= 150

10 × 80= 800

5 × 100=

500

3×200=

600

£4,050

4,050

2,025

£10,025

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carefully considered. I see the difficulties, but there is great advantage in giving to the service abroad an insight into the methods of the Office- and to the Office some knowledge of the practical difficulties and local conditions of administrations abroad.

If such an interchange is impossible, then the alternatives suggested in the minutes of temporarily attaching officers abroad to the work of the Office

at home is, I think, an experiment well worth trying. We might indeed combine the two, and always have a few men in the service abroad temporarily employed in the Colonial Office.

6. Lastly, I agree with the suggestions as to a reorganisation of the patronage department. Each officer abroad should have his "dossier " at home, and I should think that the General Department was best qualified to compile this “lossier,” and recommend for promotions.

The great object is to secure accuracy of information and continuity of policy in respect

to it.

For all these enquiries think a departmental Committee should be at once appointed. As to

its composition and to any further instructions I should be glad to have Sir E. Wingfield's and Lord Selborne's suggestions. Will Lord Selborne act as chairman ?

28th August.

J. C.

Į

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5 × 400=2,000

Suppose the respective Colories add'an equal sum, viz., West Africa, £150; Jamaica, £800, &c., &c.

The Imperial Government, say half

Thus £10,025 and accruing interest (invested by Crown Agents in Colonial securities) will be the capital sum to pay the annual pension on his retirement.

According to this scheme I should propose that A might leave the service or be retired at any time, taking with him a proportionate allowance.

Possibly it might be best to say that the pension should not accrue unless the services exceeded ten years, or in case of death-but I would take away the present strong inducement to remain two or three years longer in order to secure a large increase of pension.

4. Any scheme of pensions of this kind would involve a revision of salaries, which I think should be inade at once in any case. Circumstances Inve altered since Colonial salaries were fixed-the expenses are greater, the exchange has varied in silver countries, &c., &c., and we are continually called upon to make changes in individual cases.

I would like to review the whole of them, and settle what they ought to be as a whole, and in connection with each other. Some might be reduced, but many-ought, I am convinced, to be increased.

5. The question of interchange between the Colonial services at home and abroad should be