CO129-558-7 Problem of seniority of certain officers 16-1-1936 - 16-3-1936 — Page 9

Ne. CONFIDENTIAL.

BY AIR MAIL.

Sir,

GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

HONG KONG.

15th January, 1936.

9

535 $1540 P.F.

:52 it w

61

BISHO P.F

32/33435

33435 PF.

:

2.

I have the honour to refer to Mr. Malcolm

MacDonald's confidential despatch of 7th September, 1935, relative to the appointment to this Colony of Mr. G. S. Wilby and to submit for your determination the difficulty which has arisen in the matter of this officer's seniority.

The telegram to the Officer Administering the Government, Nigeria, enclosed with the despatch referred to directs that Mr. Wilby shall rank in seniority "next after all those members of the Education Department who have been confirmed in their appointments at the time his transfer

takes effect". According to Mr. MacDonald's confidential

despatch of 23rd October, 1935, Mr. Wilby's transfer took effect from 6th December last, and in the terms of these

despatches he should be senior to Mr. W. J. Dyer, whose two years' probationary service began on the date of his arrival in the Colony (5th September, 1934). In this connection

I would invite reference to the letter of 22nd June, 1933,

to Mr. Dyer, copy of which was enclosed with Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister's despatch No. 278 of 20th July, 1933.

3.

The matter is complicated however by the position

of Mr. A. St. G. Walton who was transferred from British

Guiana and arrived in this Colony on 18th October, 1934. He

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

J. H. THOMAS, M.P.,

&C.,

&C.,

&c.

was