XN000022-1974-03-27 — Page 39

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Wednesday, March 27, 1974

On the question of promotion, the Colonial Secretary said:

"There is a constant danger, in any large organisation, that a practice

will grow up of promoting the next most senior person, though it must

be admitted that this method is popular with many employees, who see

merit in certainty of advancement.

"We must seek to strike a proper balance between promotion which

gives too much weight to seniority and the risk of advancing officers to

positions of responsibility before they have the experience and judgemont

to occupy them successfully."

Mr. Roberts agreed with his unofficial colleague that the government

should build and own its own accommodation, in preference to leasing.

But he added that the government is likely to have to meet a

part of its requirements by leasing, sometimes because a need arises

for accommodation in a new location, and sometimes because there is a

considerable lag between established demand and the completion of the

buildings required to meet it.

Touching on the suggestion that the Colonial Secretary should,

require à report to be submitted to him on any meeting which lasts

over 14 hours, in the hope that this practice will expose some slow

moving and inefficient areas of the government, Mr. Roberts said this

idea has attractions.

But he pointed out that each of the two previous Council meetings

lasted more than two hours.

"Perhaps this illustrates the fact that quantity does not

necessarily involve a sacrifice of quality, " he added.

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