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9.
well end in a third man being appointed from outside the
Colony. I therefore withdrew my candidature, ( the increase
in salary at stake not being very great ) in a letter from
which the following is an extract.
follows:-
I am not anxious to obtain this post, though I should certainly accept it, if it were offered me. I have therefore the honour to reply that I do not propose to apply for it, on the under- standing however that my claims for future promo- tion are in no way affected by this action.
To this minute His Excellency replied as
Mr Irving's claims for future promotion will not be affected by his not applying for the post of Postmaster General. (Minute of 4th November, 1908, in 7035/08).
I make no complaint regarding Mr May's action
as recorded above, and quote it merely to explain why I did
not press my claims for the vacant appointment. I do how
ever consider that the following minute, which embodies the
reasons upon which he based my ineligibility, fails to do
me justice.
Minute by Mr May, Colonial Secretary.
(Dated 2nd October, 1908.) Your Excellency,
(7035/08)
The Postmaster Generalship is an office to which Gadets have a preferential claim.
Therefore if there is a qualified Cadet Officer his claim is superior to that of Mr E.C.Levis.
There are two such qualified Cadet Officers in the persons of Mr McI. Messer, who acted as Postmaster General with conspicuous success from 20th July, 1907 till 2nd April 1908. Mr Messer's record is in the Civil Service List. His financial capacity and his quickness in dealing with figures combined with his power of controlling and enforcing discipline in a large department, where organisa- tion is essential, peculiarly fit him for this appointment. I consider him as the Officer in this service who is by far the most fitted for the post, and I do not think that a better Postmaster General will be found outside the Colony. I therefore recommend him for the appointment.
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