CO129-369 - Acting Governor May Governor Sir Lugard - 1910 [10-11] — Page 353

f

350

language as he was on the institution of the office on the

recommendation of Sir R. G. Macdonnell in paragraph 7 of

Despatch No. 179.of the 29th. of necember, 1866. I consider

67

Keene aff, that the Department has suffered greatly in the past and

still suffers from the want of an administrative officer

with a knowledge of Chinese and training in office work,

for duties outside the Imports and Exports Sub-department.

The Committee are of opinion

that the services of an Assistant Harbour Master cannot be

dispensed with.

In view of a pending re-organiza-

-tion of the Department in relation to junk traffic and

other matters I agree in that opinion, but if it were not

for the difficulty of providing a locum tenens for the

Harbour Master (who must be an Officer of the Navy or

Mercantile Marine) it would be much better that the

Assistant Harbour Master should be a Cadet Officer and if

means could be found of providing as above for the con-

-tingency of the absence of the Harbour Master I would

strongly urge the change when an opportunity offers.

This

is a question that I propose to discuss with Sir P.

Lugard.

6.

The report of Mr. Percebois,

his