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men in the middle-income bracket but able men in this bracket are mainly in Government service. Others of any ability quickly rise above the middle-income bracket and those who remain in it are unlikely to command confidence. Teachers are to some extent an exception but the active ones in particular are peculiarly unable to leave their work in order to participate in Council activities. In Miss Kotewall's case my letter did not mention the additional difficulty of putting her in over Mrs. Li's head nor did it mention that Mrs. Li's family is wealthy and prominent.
7.
To sum up I too would have liked to have been able to propose one or two candidates who were youngish and up and coming. Confidence however requires that the choice should not merely appear forward looking and different. Those chosen must also command some measure of support from responsible, rather more conservative, opinion and I fear I have been unable to find persons who wholly fill the bill. To meet your comments I have considered the possibility of substituting Szeto Wai (Hong Kong Directory '64 page 1578, 25th entry) in place of Woo. An architect would be a change from lawyers and doctors; he is about 51 years old and perhaps slightly closer to the type we are looking for than Woo: on the other hand he lacks Woo's advantage of having been an elected member of Urban Council. He would be quite good but not as useful as Woo. The position is also complicated by Woo's having been a signatory to the Rodrigues Report on expatriate education allowances for which he has had to suffer a certain amount of personal attack. The malicious may say he has been selected as a reward: but on the other hand if he is not included some unofficial members who suggested him at least may be inclined to infer that this was because of agitation on an issue on which he should have been able to expect our support. On balance I still favour Woo.
8. Grateful reply by 24th June if possible.
Szeto. W. M.1.C.E., A.M.I. Mech. E.,M.A,S.CE.,
AISE
Chartered Civil Engineer and
authorised Architect: Member of
Committere (cwil). The Hong Kong fount
Croup of the
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Institutions of Civil,
Hon.
Mechanical & Electrical Engpage 151 of 344 Architect Boy Brigade.
ge 152 of 344
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