CO129-447 - Governor Sir May - 1918 [1-3] — Page 131

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the goal of their ambition and if they are to be

excluded from Hong Kong will feel that they have been

hardly treated. It will affect other officers

also as, if a man outside the service is appointed to Hong Kong, there will be no "consequential" promotions within the service.

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(ii) If Ceylon and Straits or either of them

follow suit by raising the salaries of their Chief

Justices to £3,000 and appointing outsiders and the

question of their doing so is almost bound to follow-

the hardship of men already within the service will

be increased pro tanto.

(iii) It is doubtful whether with a salary

of £3,000 you would be able to get the man for the

job at the Bar here. What is wanted presumably is

a fairly young man, (say not more than 45) with a pretty

big commercial practice. Such men are now earning very large incomes indeed here and men who may be

will earning less than £3,000 but have their foot on the

A

ladder have too good prospects at home to want to

go out to Hong Kong.

It would I think resolve itself into

selecting a promising junior who had a fair general

practice here and might or might not turn out a

success on the Bench in Hong Kong.

He would be

nearly as much a "lottery" as every young barrister is

whan we send out to fill a minor legal post in the

Colonies. We do our best on their records etc.

their berney a success. but we as not guarantee they do their best in the

Colonial service.

(iv) In my opinion it cannot often happen

that the Colonial legal service does not contain a

man

was A-C, thre 812-1914

HA

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man who after working his way up towards the to is fully competent to hold the Chief Justiceship of Hong Kong or Ceylon or the Straits. It is not I think the case at present.

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I hope the present Chief Justice with

of course the loyal co-operation of the members of the Bar who only desire to be reformed will be

able to do much before he retires, but if he does

not entirely succeed there are men now in the service

who have the requisite energy and ability and have

had experience as practising barristers in this

Country and elsewhere.

If the salary were increased to £3,000

or even to £2,500 either Sir A. Bertram or Sir J.

Bucknill would probably take the post and fill it admirably. The latter in particular is decidedly

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a"strong" Judge, who knows the conditions in Hong Kong and would have no qualms in dealing with abuses by the local legal profession.

If the salary were to remain at £2,000 such

Sir A. Coll of Jamaica or Sir B. Frere of Gibraltar

might on the next vacancy be trusted to act with

firmness and sound discretion as Chief Justice of

Hong Kong.

men ad

Such appointments are however for the

future, and and one possibility does occur to me for the immediate present, viz. that an exchange might be considered between Sir A. Bertram and Sir W. Rees

Davies, on the assumption of course that both were

willing and also the two Governors concerned. Sir

A Bertram would come fresh to the business, would be hampered by no past complaisance on his own part (as the present Chief Justice may be to some extent) and if properly posted by the Governor as to the

attitude