CO129-629-3 Commerce and Industry Department 1-2-1950 - 31-10-1950 — Page 15

Hasz

412 13

EAD

Bank of England

24 th February 1950.

(12) on 249

Dear Sir Hilton Poynton,

In reply to your letter of the 20th February on the subject of an Economic Adviser to the Governor of Hong Kong, it is not clear to me if the Governor is seeking a professional economist or a man of practical business experience, nor whether he is to be employed in an advisory capacity or to administer a department indeed whether the Governor wants, as it were, a "bright young man" or an "elder statesman".

nor

The qualifications required are different and before I could suggest names it is important to know exactly what is needed. As an adviser I imagine you would need someone for one or two years but if he is to administer a department, I should have thought you would want to promote someone with the necessary qualifications from the Colonial Service. As you say in your letter, I do not think it would prove easy to get a man of calibre from outside at the sort of salary you have in mind. I am afraid there is no chance of our being able to spare anybody from here.

Yours sincerely,

World

Sir Hilton Poynton, K.C.M.G.