CO129-412 - Governor Sir May - 1914 [7-8] — Page 119

No 268

HONGKONG.

C

32711

RECO

112

R 29 " 14

GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

22nd July, 1914.

sir,

I have the honour to inform you that Mr. Lau Tsz-

ping, an officer who resigned the public service in 1913 to fill

an official appointment under the Chinese Government, desires to

return to the Government service, and to submit in accordance

with the provisions of General Order No.38 particulars of his

previous service which in my opinion amply justify his re-

engagement.

2.

Mr. Lau was originally Secretary to the District

Magistrate of San On adjacent to the New Territories, and his

services were placed by that official at the disposal of this

Government in connection with the settlement of land questions

in the New Territories. He proved so useful to Mr. Clementi who

was then engaged in that work that he was offered and accepted

a permanent appointment as a Grade IV clerk. He subsequently

rendered conspicuous service to the Government in connection

with the Cheung Sha Wan land case when Crown land of consider-

able value was at stake, in fact it was owing to his and to Mr.

Clementi's masterly evidence as experts on Chinese land law that

the case was decided in favour of the Crown. Mr. Lau was then

transferred to the Registrar General's Office (now the Secre-

tariat for Chinese Affairs) where his intelligence, tact and

intimate knowledge of Chinese official procedure rendered him

invaluable. His promotion was rapid, he entered Grade III on the

1st January, 1910, and Grade II two years later. He resigned in

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

LEWIS HARCOURT, M.P.,

&c.

&C -

800.

1913