CO129-340 - Governor Nathan Acting Governor May - 1907 [4-6] — Page 139

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Registrar communicated to Mr. Gibbons- a former holder of the

office- on taking up his appointment and dated 23rd. January 138

"The Registrar requires to possess a general knowledge of the

practice of the Courts and of Mercantile and Commercial business

with a sufficient acquaintance of accounts and book-keeping &c"

To these qualifications should now be added, a competent and

through knowledge of company law and the administration of

estates, as the Registrar is now Registrar of Companies and

Official Administrator of intestate estates and official Trustee

under the Trustee's Ordinance.

I question therefore whether the Colony possesses a Cadet

holding all these qualifications, and I am prepared to say that

no man,

however clever and able he may be, could acquire such

a knowledge in less than 12 months even though possessing &

legal training.

If the Government still thinks it necessary to desire these

qualifications which are undoubtedly necessary, they can only be

found at the present moment, outside the Cadet ranks.

12. With reference to Mr. Kemp's appointment as Acting Official

Receiver and Official Trustee in Bankruptcy, which is not one

of the preferential offices open to Cadets, I have very little

to say except that the appointment was not made on the merits,

or at least the merits were not considered.

deputies

The Registrar was asked officially if one of the d

could be spared to fill the Acting appointment, and at the same time it was privately conveyed to him, or he was given to under- stand, that Mr. Kemp was desired, for so he himself informed me- and, as he had no choice in the matter, he accordingly with the

assent of their Honours the Judges, recommended Mr. Kemp.

As Deputy Registrar and Appraiser there could be no legal

objection to this appointment, but as to the appointment of the Registrar to the offices I am afraid that the whole tenor of the Bankruptcy ordinance No.7 of 1891 is opposed to the appointment. Will your Lordship kindly compare Section 62 Subsection 2.-The Trustee's accounts examined and audited by the Registrar-and

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