CO129-387 - Individuals - 1911 — Page 236

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conveying coolies to and from South Africa, which has hitherto

This

formed the subject of a separate file of correspondence.

allowance, (to the sum of $1650), is still owing to me, the debt

having been repudiated by the Government of United South Africa,

without explanation. The opportunity for such repudiation was -

afforded by the Hongkong Government, who, while paying a similar

allowance to the Registrar General, subsequently collecting

the same from the Transvaal Government, in my case temporised,

and not only declined to pay me, but omitted to forward my repea-

-ted applications for the stipulated allowance until after the

expiration of more than two years from the date of cessation, for

22 months of which period I was required to continue the duties

for the performance of which the allowance was promised.

8. I find myself, therefore, doubly mulcted; first

of the promised remuneration for work actually performed, over

and above the duties of my substantive post, and secondly of a

substantial proportion of my meagre half salary as a fine for a

crime which I was rendered powerless to prevent, committed by a

Chinese shroff who was shielded and encouraged in his disobe-

-dience of my orders by the senior Chinese clerk and accountant

to whom alone I had to look for control of the Chinese staff and

for reports of irregularitiesby them. I am, therefore, now out

of pocket to the extent of £171. 10s, and am to be called upon

for a further sum of £48. 10s, as a result of the differential and

preferential treatment accorded to officers of the Cadet class,

of which the Registrar General is a member; for the present

case exhibits many parallels with the previous similar one, when

Mr Orme, a Cadet officer, was held responsible for certain defal-

-cations in the District Land Office, but was not called upon to

make good the missing money.

9. But it is not so much the money (although that is

a sufficiently serious matter to a man on a small salary, with

a family to support and educate) but the reflection upon my

honour