CO129-291 - Governor Sir Blake - 1899 [5-6] — Page 339

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All AI Reviewed

333

Paragraph 50 of the report (Retrenchment Committee '94) is a monument of crude suggestion. I especially remark on it at length because it ends with a recommendation that the question touched upon should receive the further and attentive consideration of the Postmaster General. "Seeing," say the Committee, "that the amount of work is unequal at times, as on the arrival and departure of mails, and especially if these should happen on the same day, we have no doubt there is at these moments a great pressure on the Staff, but at intervals there are times of comparative leisure." This opinion is a platitude applicable to all Government and Mercantile and professional offices alike.

"The staff," continues the paragraph, "of the Office should not be kept up permanently so as to cope with these unusual demands, and as vacancies occur, we recommend that the experiment be made of having recourse on such occasions to the Military for temporary assistance in sorting or despatching mails."

I opine that it would have been just as sound to have argued that a staff of two judges should not be kept up because the incidence of work is unequal at times and that the unusual demands in the law Courts might be met by employing temporary assistance. To carry out to the full the reductio ad absurdum, it would be as reasonable to invoke the aid of a solicitor's clerk in case of judicial pressure as to resort

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333 A Paragraph 50 of the report (Retrenchment Committee '94) is a monument of crude suggestion. I especially remark on it at length because it ends with a recommendation that the question touched upon should receive the further and attentive consideration of the Postmaster General. "Seeing," say the Committee, "that the amount of work is unequal at times, as on the arrival and departure of mails, and especially if these should happen on the same day, we have no doubt there is at these moments a great pressure on the Staff, but at intervals there are times of comparative leisure." This opinion is a platitude applicable to all Government and Mercantile and professional offices alike. "The staff," continues the paragraph, "of the Office should not be kept up permanently so as to cope with these unusual demands, and as vacancies occur, we recommend that the experiment be made of having recourse on such occasions to the Military for temporary assistance in sorting or despatching mails." I opine that it would have been just as sound to have argued that a staff of two judges should not be kept up because the incidence of work is unequal at times and that the unusual demands in the law Courts might be met by employing temporary assistance. To carry out to the full the reductio ad absurdum, it would be as reasonable to invoke the aid of a solicitor's clerk in case of judicial pressure as to resort

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333 A Paragraph 50 of the report (Retrenchment Committee '94) is a ♦ monument of grude suggestion. I especially remark on it at length because it ends with a recommendation that the question toushed upon should receive the further and attentive considere ation of the Postmaster General. "Seeing" say the Committee *that the amount of work is unequal at times, as on the arrival and departure of mails, and especially if these should happen on the same day, we have no doubt there is at these noments a great pressure on the Staff, but at intervals there are times of comparative leisure. This opinion is a platitude applicable to all Government and Mercantile and professional offices alike. "The staff" continues the paragraph "of the Office should not be kept up permanently so as to cope with these unusual denands, and me vacancies occur, we recommend that the experiment be ande of having recourse on such occasions to the Military for temporary assistance in sorting or despatching mails". I opine that it would have been just as sound to have argued that a staff of two judges should not be kept up because the incidence of work is unequal at times and that the unusual demands in the baw Courts night be kept by employing temporary assistance. To carry out to the full the reductio ad absurdum, it would be as reasonable to invoke the aid of a solicitor's clerk in case of judicial pressure `as to resort

2026-05-30 23:30:56 · Baseline

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333

Paragraph 50 of the report (Retrenchment Committee '94) is a

♦

monument of grude suggestion. I especially remark on it at

length because it ends with a recommendation that the question

toushed upon should receive the further and attentive considere

ation of the Postmaster General. "Seeing" say the Committee

*that the amount of work is unequal at times, as on the arrival

and departure of mails, and especially if these should happen

on the same day, we have no doubt there is at these noments a

great pressure on the Staff, but at intervals there are times

of comparative leisure. This opinion is a platitude applicable

to all Government and Mercantile and professional offices alike.

"The staff" continues the paragraph "of the Office should not

be kept up permanently so as to cope with these unusual denands,

and me vacancies occur, we recommend that the experiment be

ande of having recourse on such occasions to the Military for

temporary assistance in sorting or despatching mails".

I opine that it would have been just as

sound to have argued that a staff of two judges should not be

kept up because the incidence of work is unequal at times and

that the unusual demands in the baw Courts night be kept by

employing temporary assistance. To carry out to the full the

reductio ad absurdum, it would be as reasonable to invoke the

aid of a solicitor's clerk in case of judicial pressure `as to

resort

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