CO129-456 - Governor Sir Stubbs - 1919 [10-12] — Page 383

364

!

Passed Cadet - 84,000

Cadet

83,000

the increments in all cases being annual. A Passed Cadet

should, I consider, be appointed a Supernumerary member of

Class IV if he does not obtain a substantive appointment

within three years from the date of passing his examinations.

I agree also generally with Mr. Severn's proposals as to the appointments to be assigned to the various classes, (provid-

-

-ed that it is understood that the appointments for which

persons from outside the Cadet Service are now eligible

continue to be open to the same extent) except that I am at present somewhat in doubt with regard to the suggestion for the appointment of a Cudet Officer to the Public Works Department. I am inclined to think that the duties which Mr. Severn proposes to assign to that post could be adequate- -ly discharged by a less expensive type of officer but there is no need to settle the matter at the moment.

8.

I wish, however, to submit for Your Lordship's consideration an alternative proposal in regard to the organization of the Cadet Service. Owing to the small size of this service in Hongkong such a system of classifice- -tion as is at present in force is in my opinion very un- -suitable. It must necessarily result in great inequalities in promotion and in periods of stagnation, alternating probably with periods of excessive rapidity of promotion. For instance the oldest member of Class I (excluding Mr. Irving who was transferred from the Federated Malay States)

is aged 45 and entered Class I at the age of 38. The second member of Class II is now 43 and he may have to wait another tan years before there is a vacmey for him in Class I. I ea convinced that inequalities of this kind do not tend to the good of the service but in so small a body as the Cadet Service of Hongkong there is no possibility of avoiding them so long as the present system is maintained. What I desire,

therefore,