CO129-433 - Governor Sir May - 1916 [5-6] — Page 219

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:

to fill them.

I do not think that more effective steps

could have been taken to cope with an abnormal situation created

by the war. It is true that leave cannot now be granted to two

Sisters who have just become due for it under the new system of leave after 4 instead of 5 years service. But the Matron returned

in March from a year's leave and one Sister is absent on a year's

leave. One of the Sisters now due for leave was given at her own request 4 months' leave to Europe at the end of 1914, but eventual- -ly she did not take the leave though it was pointed out that it

was desirable that she should take the leave when it was con-

-venient to the Government.

Finally I may mention that in February last the two Sisters now due for leave were offered short leave of 2 months each to visit Japan during the current year. They refused

the offer.

9.

Mr. Pollock makes two very important suggest-

-ions in his covering letter which are not mentioned in the Peti- -tion. One, that the extremely limited franchise advocated by the Petitioners should be discarded for one consisting of Special and Common Jurors, with certain additions. The other, that to the ten Un-official Members of Legislative Council asked for by the

Petitioners there should be added 2 nominated Chinese Members. I

refrain from comment upon these suggestions as I have no mens of knowing whether they represent the views of any responsible person or persons prepared to submit such changes for your consideration. Nor do I propose to criticise the articles from the local and from the Shanghai Press since they contain no point not covered by the fundamental objections to any form of self-Government in this

Colony.

10.

In paragraph 8 of his letter Mr. Pollock hazards the opinion that the Government sent to Press some of the correspondence concerning the Petition of 1894 "in the hope that they would adversely affect the signing of the Petition". The

Government