CO129-304 - Governor Sir Blake - 1901 [1-4] — Page 544

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increase of work at the Colonial Secretary's Office and the

arduous and technical nature of his own duties.

, 1900.

3. I enclose an extract from the minutes of the

Executive Council at which the case was investigated, from which

it will be seen that I decided to give Mr. Gutierrez another

chance to reinstate himself in the good opinion of his supe-

riors, warning him at the same time of the serious consequences

of future acts of negligence. I did not decide upon this course

without certain misgivings, as the evidence seemed to show that

the work which Mr. Gutierrez was called upon to perform as Se-

cond Clerk was beyond the powers of a person of his capacity,

and that grounds of complaint would probably he numerous in

spite of any effort he might make to avoid them.

4. In November last the Colonial Secretary was

again compelled to bring the conduct of Mr. Gutierrez before

my notice in connection with several gross acts of careless-

ness, As the Colonial Secretary was unwilling to recommend his

suspension and I was myself unprepared to consider so drastic

a measure as dismissal from the service, I decided to transfer

him to the post of Second Clerk in the Magistracy, which had

just become vacant. This I did on the 11th. December last, The

pay of the Second Clerk in the Colonial Secretary's Office is

$1612 per annum, and that of the Second Clerk in the Magistracy

is slightly more, namely $1728.I did not however feel justified

in allowing Mr. Gutierrez to draw the full pay of the latter

post, and I have fixed it for the time being at the same figure

as that attached to the former.

5.

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