CO129-309 - Public Offices & Others - 1901 — Page 381

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

373

exceptional to such a degree, that it was deemed necessary to attach special conditions to the appointment. The appointment was practically to evolve order out of chaos, with untrustworthy material, in a building utterly inadequate for the purpose, to reconstruct a department of vital importance to the whole of the further East.

3. Two months after assuming charge, I reported that at least six more clerks were absolutely necessary for the merest routine work; that the whole were paid so much below the market rate that none but the poorest of the Portuguese entered the Post Office, only to leave it on the first favourable opportunity. Nothing however was done until the first of last year, consequently the inadequate, overtaxed, underpaid, underfed staff had to be still further strained.

The enclosure herewith marked 2 shows to what extent I had to call upon them. Not until I had plainly shown the Government that unless fed on the premises on occasions, it was not at all improbable that the whole machinery might collapse, was I able to get partial amelioration of the conditions that ensued on my insisting on the proper discharge of the duties

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373 exceptional to such a degree, that it was deemed necessary to attach special conditions to the appointment. The appointment was practically to evolve order out of chaos, with untrustworthy material, in a building utterly inadequate for the purpose, to reconstruct a department of vital importance to the whole of the further East. 3. Two months after assuming charge, I reported that at least six more clerks were absolutely necessary for the merest routine work; that the whole were paid so much below the market rate that none but the poorest of the Portuguese entered the Post Office, only to leave it on the first favourable opportunity. Nothing however was done until the first of last year, consequently the inadequate, overtaxed, underpaid, underfed staff had to be still further strained. The enclosure herewith marked 2 shows to what extent I had to call upon them. Not until I had plainly shown the Government that unless fed on the premises on occasions, it was not at all improbable that the whole machinery might collapse, was I able to get partial amelioration of the conditions that ensued on my insisting on the proper discharge of the duties

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2 373 exceptional to such a degree, that it was deemed necessary to attach special conditions to the appointment. The appointment was practically to evolve order out of chaos, with untrustworthy material, in a building utterly inadequate for the purpose, to reconstruct a department of vital importance to the whole of the further East. 3. Two months after assuming, charge, I reported that at least six more clerks were absolutely necessary for the merest routine work; that the whole were paid so much below the market rate that none but the poorest of the Portuguese entered the Post Office, only to leave it on the first favourable opportunity. Nothing however was done until the first of last year, conse- quantly the inadequate, overtaxed underpaid underfed staff, had to be still further strained. The enclosure herewith marked 2 shows to what extent I had to call upon them. Not until I had plainly shown the Government that unless fed on the premises on occasions, it was not at all improbable that the whole machinery might collapse, was I able to get partial amelioration of the conditions that ensuked on my insisting on the proper discharge of the duties

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373

3. Two months after assuming, charge, I reported that at least six more clerks were absolutely necessary for the merest routine work; that the whole were paid so much below the market rate that none but the poorest of the Portuguese entered the Post Office, only to leave it on the first favourable opportunity. Nothing however was done until the first of last year, conse-

quantly the inadequate, overtaxed underpaid underfed

staff, had to be still further strained.

The enclosure herewith marked 2 shows to what

extent I had to call upon them. Not until I had

plainly shown the Government that unless fed on the

premises on occasions, it was not at all improbable

that the whole machinery might collapse, was I able to

get partial amelioration of the conditions that

ensuked on my insisting on the proper discharge of the

duties

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