CO129-534-3 Report of Retrenchment Commission 4-5-1931 - 19-2-1932 — Page 15

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I am afraid this has been delayed.

(3).

Evidently the Report of the

Retrenchment Commission has received very care l

consideration by the Hong Kong Government.

Gradual, but not precipitate,

replacement of Europeans by Chinese will be

effected as found possible.

The Governor's

views on retrenchment as set out in paragraph

4 of the covering despatch seem sound.

Among the points of note in the

commentary, it will be observed

and in this

connection see Mr. Gent's minute of 10/7/31

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that the Governor expresses general satisfaction

with the present method of local recruitment

in the senior clerical and accounting staffs,

and evidently it is not intended to call upon the

Crown Agents to recruit as proposed by the

Commission.

No reference is made in the commentary to the

Commission's suggestion that the Chief Clerk

of the Secretariat should be recruited from

the Colonial Office Registry.

In the Harbour Department, Hong

Kong Government is not prepared to accept

amalgamation of the posts of Deputy and

Assistant Harbour Master, but the post of

Surveyor is to be left vacant on the retirement of

the holder in 1932.

the

'^

Generally, Governor takes the view that the

Harbour Department is primarily for the

regulation of shipping and not for the

he

collection of revenue, and is not prepared

to raise the fees to shipping.

Nor is he

prepared to make any reductions of staff, which

would