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a military officer, however competent in his own work, to take over the civil administration of a colony. On general principles it has always appeared to me—and in this opinion I have the support of almost every colonial official with whom I have discussed the matter—that the proper officer to administer the government in the absence of the Governor is the Colonial Secretary, and that, in cases when there are special reasons why the Colonial Secretary should not be allowed to act, the duty should devolve on the Chief Justice. The training of a soldier almost always unfits him for the duties of a civil administrator; and in Hong-kong, where a number of vexed questions exist between the military and civil authorities, it seems ill-advised to combine the highest military authority and the highest civil authority in the person of one official.
During the three months immediately following my arrival in the colony, three different gentlemen occupied the post of Colonial Secretary, and three different gentlemen acted as Registrar General. The reports of the Finance Committee for 1901 show that the attendance included an Acting Attorney-General, an Acting Colonial Treasurer, and an Acting Director of Public Works. The service of the colony has suffered greatly from the evil of acting appointments, and a system should be introduced under which it would not be necessary to transfer so many officials from one department to another whenever a senior official goes on leave.
Owing to the fact that there has been no official of Hong-kong specially charged with the preservation of the colonial records or with the collection of a suitable library for the Colonial Secretary's office and for the Council Chamber, there is not collected in any one place a complete set of the printed records of the colony and although the Council Chamber library contained a history of Dalmatia and Montenegro and a volume of Greek verses of Shrewsbury School, I found it unprovided with a set of the colony's Official Gazette or with the administration reports of the other Crown colonies. The system of indexing the official correspondence of the colony is one of utter confusion. There appears to be no recognized set of finely sub-divided subject-headings under which documents could be classified with some approach to uniformity, and the result is that a great deal of time is wasted in searching for documents to which reference becomes necessary from time to time.
Notwithstanding the serious nature of such a visitation, it was not until 1901 that the Government took the matter thoroughly in hand by calling for a report on the subject from Professor W. J. Simpson, and a public health and buildings ordinance was drafted as the outcome of Professor Simpson's report and of the advice of Mr. Osbert Chadwick, C.M.G., and of Dr. Marcus Clark, medical officer of health, some eight years after the first outbreak of plague.
The other instance to which I refer is the water supply of the colony. About 20 years ago Mr. Osbert Chadwick, C.M.G., was called upon to make a report on the water supply of Hong-kong. He supplied the Government with a number of suggestions, which were only carried out in part. During the early part of 1901 the colony was threatened with an absolute loss of its water supply. So grave had the situation become in the colony in April that the water was only turned on for half an hour daily, and water had to be brought over from Kowloon in boats. The suffering produced by a water famine in a tropical country can scarcely be imagined by anyone who has not witnessed it, and it is one of the first duties of the Government to protect the people against such an occurrence. After an interval of 20 years, Mr. Chadwick had to be again called to the colony to report once more on the water supply.
Two circumstances have contributed very largely to the unsatisfactory condition of the clerical work of the colonial Government, one the inadequate size of the Government offices, and the other the employment of a large number of junior clerks, Chinese and Portuguese, at salaries little better than those paid to day labourers.
After visiting every colony of importance in the British Empire, except those situated in Africa, I can safely say that the Hongkong Post Office and Supreme Court are housed in the most wretched buildings ever dignified with the name of a Government office, and that the Colonial Secretary's department, the Public Works, and the Registrar-General's office are little better off. The Governor, happily for himself, has one of the best Government houses to be found among the smaller colonies, and, in addition, a charming summer residence at the Peak. It should be a source of satisfaction to the people of Hong-kong that at last the Colonial Office has consented to the erection of a number of new Government offices.
The matter of the junior clerks in the service is one which will have to be faced if the service is to be improved; and there appears to be but one satisfactory solution, and that is the increased employment of cadets. The service is a cadet service, a system which has worked admirably in the Straits Settlements. It is an expensive way
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a military officer, however competent in his own of securing efficient colonial civil servants, and work, to take over the civil administration of a after the expense has been incurred the result colony. On general principles it has always will not be satisfactory unless the heads of appeared to re-and in this opinion I have the departments set a better standard of work than support of almost every colonial official with has prevailed hitherto in Hong-kong. But with whom I have discussed the matter that the the infusion of a more vigorous spirit into the proper officer to administer the government in administration, and with an increase in the the absence of the Governor is the Colonial number of cadets, those fanlts in the Government Secretary, and that, in cases when there are which have led to serious attempts to secure a special reasons why the Colonial Secretary should change in the constitution of the colony should not be allowed to act, the duty should devolve on be removed by a process of internal reform. the Chief Justice. The training of a soldier I have laid a good deal of stress on the in- eficient work of the clerical departments of the
almost always milte him for the duties of a civil administrator; and in Hong-kong, where a Government and on defects in the machinery of number of vexed questions exist between the administration for the reason that the experience military and civil authorities, it seems ill-advised of colonial officials proves that, whereas bad work to combine the highest military authority and the
may occasionally be done where the general highest civil authority in the person of one official system is good, it is the rarest occurrence that During the three months immediately following good work is done where the general system is my arrival in the colony three different gentle bad. Nothing has been said of specific instances of men occupied the post of Colonial Secretary, and bad work in the various departments of the three different gentlemen acted as Registrar Government of Kong-kong, because such criticisms General. The reports of the Finance Committee would have involved a direct reflection on the for 1901 show that the attendance included an ability of individual officials. But two instances. Acting Attorney-General, an Acting Colonial may be cited in which a grave responsibility has Treasurer, and an Acting Director of Public rested on successive Governors and on their ad- Works. The service of the colony has suffered visers, and in which the interests of the colony greatly from the evil of acting appoint- have been sacrificed to official dilatoriness. ments, and a system should be introduced In 1894 a serious outbreak of bubonic plague under which it would not be necessary to transfer occurred in Hong-kong, and from that time on- so many officials from oue department to another
ward the colony has scarcely been free from it. whenever a senior official goes on leave.
Notwithstanding the serious nature of such a Owing to the fact that there has been no official visitation, it was not until 1901 that the Govern of Hong-kong specially charged with the preser- ment took the matter thoroughly in hand by call- vation of the colonial records or with the ing for a report on the subject from Professor collection of a suitable library for the Colonial W. J. Simpson, and a public health and buildings Secretary's office and for the Council Chamber, ordinance was drafted as the outcome of Professor there is not collected in any one place a complete Simpson's report and of the advice of Mr. Osbert set of the printed records of the colony and Chadwick, Ó.M.G., and of Dr. Marcus Clark, although the Council Chamber library contained medical officer of health, some eight years a history of Dalmatia and Montenegro and a after the first outbreak of plague. The other volume of Greek verses of Shrewsbury School, instance to which I refer is the water I found it unprovided with a set of the colony's apply of the colony. About 20 years ago Official Gazette or with the administration Mr. Osbert Chadwick, C.M.G., was called upon to reports of the other Crown colonics. The make a report on the water supply of Hong- system of indexing the official correspond-kong. He supplied the Government with a ence of the colony is one of utter con- number of suggestions, which were only carried fusion. There appears to be no recognized set out in part. During the early part of 1901 the of finely sub-divided subject-beadings under colony was threatened with an absolute loss of which documents could be classified with some
its water supply. So grave had the situation approach to uniformity, and the result is
become in the colony in April that the water was that a great deal of time is wasted in searching only turned on for half an hour daily, and water for documents to which reference becomes neces-had to be brought over from Kowloon in boats. sary from time to time.
The suffering produced by a water famine in a tropical country can scarcely be imagined by any one who has not witnessed it, and it is one of the first duties of the Government to protect the people against such an occurrence, After an interval of 20 years, Mr. Chadwick had to be again exlied to the colony to report once more on the water supply.
Two circumstances have contributed very largely to the unsatisfactory condition of the clerical work of the colonial Government, one the inadequate size of the Government offices, and the other the employment of a large number of junior clerks, Chinese and Portuguese, at salaries little better than those paid to day labourers, After visiting overy colony of importance
The general condition of the administration of in the British Empire, Hong-Kong suggests a step, the advisability of except those situated in Africa, 1 can safely say which cannot have failed to impress itself on the that the Hongkong Post Office and Supreme minds of all those who are familiar with Crown Court are housed in the most wretched building Colony government, the appointment, as servants ever dignified with the name of a Government of the Colonial Office, of two or three Inspectors office, sud that the Colonial Secretary's depart of Colonies. The duties of such officials would be ment, the Public Works, and the Registrar- to visit in rotation all the Crown Colonies and General's office are little better off. Governor, happily for himself, has one of the best Jamaica, and to investigate the work of the local The those of similar type, like British Guiana and Government houses to be found among the officials. The Colonial Office at present exercises smaller colonies, and, in addition, a charming a catain supervision over the officials in Crown summer residence at the Peak. It should be a Colonies; but it laboura under the great dis- source of satisfaction to the people of Hong-kong advantage that its investigations are conducted that at last the Colonial Office has consented to away from the spot and by men who, however the erection of a number of new Government offices.great may be their ability, have no knowledge The matter of the junior clerks in the service from personal observation of local conditions. is one which will have to be faced if the service is The men most suitable for the work of colonial to be improved: and there appears to be but one inspectors would be those who had shown marked satisfactory solution, and that is the increased ability as colonial secretaries in the Crown employment of cadets. The servico is a cadet Colonies and in other parts of our tropical
service, a system which has worked admirably in empire. the Straits Settlements. It is an expensive way
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