CO129-569-8 Reorganisation of Administrative Service 4-4-1938 - 17-11-1938 — Page 3

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Service, seems to me to be a mistaken view.

I should have thought that the latter

system was surely in the public interest.

Nor is it altogether correct to say that

the previous system is much more highly

flexible and enables the square peg to be

removed from the round hole; and we have had

a recent illustration of this in the case of

Mr. Sayers, at present filling the post of

Director of Education, who is not suited for

the post but who has been appointed to it in

view of his status as a Class I Cadet.

Nor do I think the difficulties

mentioned in para. 4 of the despatch are by

any means insuperable. It seems to me that

the near occurrence of vacancies of the kind

mentioned can normally be foreseen and

promotions managed accordingly.

As regards prospects promotion, I

cannot see that the system of making substantive

appointments should give any reason for dis-

satisfaction. I think essentially the real

feeling

reason for this in the Hong Kong

the Lomsbelly

Service is that the number of higher posts

eligible to the Cadet Service may be reduced

(i.e. the Director of Education and do

First Police Magistrate may eventually be

filled by technically qualified men), and also

the fact that the making of substantive

appointments will allow the field of officers

in the rest of the Colonial Services to be

considered for vacancies which may occur,

[i.e.