CO129-226 - Acting Governor Marsh - 1886 [4-5] — Page 360

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Poking had an object in view, and that

C

object could have been none other than

that he should require the Mandarin dialect. But surely it was never intended that Mr. May should be paid out of public funds - funds voted by the Legislative Cornsil and the expenditure of which

Avas

approved by

the Scoretary of State - to devote more than to learning Mandarin only to

two

years

unlearn it on his return to the Colony,

for such will be the inevitable result if

乡老

he is not assisted by the Government in

Keeping up the Knowledge he has been at acquire. If the Government

such pains to

now is of opinion that a knowledge of mandarin on the part of an officer of

this

this Government is not worth retaining it appears to Ire that I. May has a legitimate grievance. Only those who_ have had a practical experience of

the task of learning Chinese can realize. the amount of work necess to attain

necessary to the standard which Mr Hillier reports

to

on Mr

Mr. May has reached, and it seems me that it will be a hardship May, and a serious waste of public money if his labour is to be rendered regatory. Mr. May is quite competent

to perform his duties, but, as is will Known to all who have

acquaintance with Chinese, there is no European in

HongKong who can

Dispense with

China or the aid of a teacher in translation work.

The

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