750
fact Mr. May's first letter did not reach me until the middle of December, and the Hongkong Government was therefore in receipt of my reply on the 27th or 28th of that month. It is therefore clear that the work of revision must have been undertaken before that date. From my familiarity with the nature of the task I am of opinion that in order that Mr. May could be able to write me on Jan. 17, 1902, that the work of revision was completed and in working order, a commencement must have been made at least as early as the middle of November. That is to say, the Hongkong Government wrote asking me to do certain work and, before it could possibly receive any reply from me, placed the work in the hands of some other person.)
4. But in Mr. May's letter of Feb. 3 (enclosure 9) the matter of the revision of the system of filing and recording documents is dropped entirely and the action of the Hongkong Government is defended on one ground only, namely that in suggesting that certain purely clerical work in connection with the indexing of the Council Chamber Library should be done by a clerk in the Colonial Secretary's Office I had attached conditions inconsistent with the original intention of the Hongkong Government in the premises and that therefore the Hongkong Government had no longer the desire nor the intention of employing my services.
11
14
5. I find it impossible to believe that this argument can have been advanced in sincerity, for it falls to the ground at the first touch of scrutiny. I did not in fact make any condition. My words were "I suggest" and nothing in the words themselves or in their context justifies the assertion of the Hongkong Government that I attached conditions. But even if such an interpretation could by any possible means be placed on my words, surely the Hongkong Government should have written me to the effect that they were not prepared to furnish the clerical assistance I sought and that I was expected to do the clerical work myself, instead of abruptly informing me that my services were no longer required.
C. If, however, the Hongkong Government really regarded my suggestion as a demand I would like to point out what that alleged demand really amounted to. The assistance I suggested was such as could have been performed in a week by any intelligent clerk on a salary of forty dollars a month. So that, in fact, the position of the Hongkong Government was this: it decided that as in respect of work for which it was willing to pay me twelve hundred dollars I asked for clerical assistance to the value of ten dollars I so materially changed the conditions implied in their agreement with me that they were justified in cancelling the engagement on the spot without even asking me whether I would not be willing to forego my ten dollars' worth of clerical help.
It is impossible to believe that reasoning of this kind was ever seriously held by the Hongkong Government to justify its action.
D. There is disclosed throughout the whole correspondence a clear attempt on the part of the Hongkong Government to put me in the wrong by giving my words a construction which cannot properly be attached to them. One instance of this is the interpretation of my words "I therefore suggest" into a positive demand; and another is the
34
12
3.
750
fact Mr. May's first letter did not reach me until
the middle of December, and the Hongkong Government was therefore in receipt of my reply on the 27th.or 28th of that month. It is therefore clear that the work of revision must have been undertaken before that date. From my familiarity with the nature of the task I an of opinion that in order that Mr. May could be able to write me on Jan. 17 1902 that the work of revision was completed and in working order, a commencement must have been made at least as early as the middle of November. That is to say the Hongkong Government wrote asking me to do certain work and, before it could possibly receive any reply from me, placed the work in the hands of some other person. )
4.But in Mr.May's letter of Feb.3 ( enclosure 9 ) the matter of the revision of the system of filing and recording docu- ments is dropped entirely and the action of the Hongkong Government is defended on one ground only, namely that in suggesting that certain purely clerical work in connection with the indexing of the Council Chamber Library should be done by a clerk in the Colonial Secretary's Office I had attached conditions inconsistent with the original intention of the Hongkong Government in the premises and that therefore the Hongkong Government had no longer the desire nor the intention of
employing my services.
11
14
5. I find it impossible to believe that this argu- ment can have been advanced in sincerity, for it falls to the ground et the first touch of scrutiny. PISSP,I did not in fact make any condition. My words were I suggest " and nothing in the words themselves or in their context justifies the assertion of the Hongkong Government that
attached conditions. But even if such an interpretation could by any possible means be placed on my words surely the Hongkong Government should have written me to the effect that they were not prepared to furnish the clerical assistance I sought and that I was expected to do the clerical work myself, instead of abruptly informing me that my ser- vices were no longer required.
Ĉ. If, however, the Hongkong Government really regarded
my suggestion as a demand I would like to point out what that alleged demand really amounted to. The assistance I suggested was such as could have been performed in a week by any intelligent clerk on a salary! of forty dollars a month. So that, in fact, the position of the Hongkong Government was this it decided that as in respect of work for which it was willing to pay me TWELVE HUNDRED DOLLARS I asked for clerical assistance to the value of TEN DOLLARS I so materially changed the conditions implied in their agreement with me that they were justified in cancelling the engagement on the spot without even asking me whether I would not be willing to forego my ten dollars' worth of clerical help.j
It is impossible to believe that reasoning of this kind was ever ser- iously held by the Hongkong Government to justify its action.
D. There is disclosed throughout the whole correspondence a clear attempt on the part of the Hongkong Government to put me in the wrong by giving my words a construction which cannot properly be attach- ed to them, One instance of this is the interpretation of my words
34
12
I therefore suggest into a positive demand; and another is the
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.