CO129-313 - Governor Sir Blake - 1902 [10-12] — Page 447

A

No.534.

Hongkong.

JR D

443

Government House, 3 JA

07

Hongkong, 10th. December, 1902.

sir,

I have the honour to forward a letter ad-

dressed to you by nine Cadets in this Colony, with a minute

by the Colonial Secretary, Mr. May.

closure 1.

losure 2. Dicember 1902.

1. November 1902.

2.

The ten Cadets, in whose name the letter

is written, apparently object equally to the appointment to

the Public Service of this Colony of Officers from other

Colonies who have entered the Service as Cadets, or who have

been otherwise appointed, while Mr. May suggests the relief

of possible stagnation in the Eastern Colonies by the selection

of Officers from these Colonies to fill appointments in other

Crown Colonies. This proposal seems to involve an absence of

reciprocity that would certainly evoke protest from the large

body of Officers serving in the Crown Colonies other than

Ceylon, Hongkong, and the Straits Settlements.

3.

I am afraid that I cannot agree with the

view of Mr. May in paragraph 6 of his minute. Having regard

to the fact that the Civil Services of Hongkong, the Straits

Settlements, and the Federated Malay States are assimilated,

while in the event of a vacancy I should recommend an Officer

serving in the Colony if I considered him properly qualified,

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, M.P.,

BcC...

860.,

&C. *

I