[Departing Governor of Hongkong, and His Attitude Towards Public Criticism BY Aw Oto -Restwenr, me tHe "Honexoxc Datty Passe"
Sir Edward Stubbs has completed his service as Governor of this Colony. He leaves us with man; ions of goodwill. He his difficulties and his disap-_ pointments, like the rest of us, during the last few months, but in so ways he has been fortunate. He arrived in Hongkong when the finanees'of the Colony were in flourishing condition and when there! was every reason to anticipate long period of satisfactory raven: for the public exchequer.
He aad the reputation of a man who under-toed." mance: "Te was thou under supervision there would be no squandering'
Pablic funds. His close friendship with the late Mr. A. G. Stephea may have been due to the attraetion of minds that think alike.
As far as I can remember he the first Governor who has gi his views in favour of raising loans public works. He tried hard to settle the long-standing question the military lands, If the bargain that agreed upon some months ago favourable to the in connexion with our work in which we do not take a delight. It is, for example, so much easier for any of us to give fulsome flattery than to submit honest criticism that, if we always did just what we liked best, we should allow our eyes to become blinded to the evils that need redress. For a time we might have a very happy time, but in the end all this taking of the line of least resistance means stagnation and inefficiency. We admit that is only human nature to be tive to criticism, especially if the criticism is deserved and is made T yield to none in praise of the ability of Sir Edward Stubbs, hho is human enough to have' his likes and. dislikes. He recently explained t his colleagues in Civil Service that he though ci servants were subjected to. unfair criticism. When that happens there is usually some opportunity for an oficial reply. It is the penalty which public servants must pay for their particular "job"; it perhaps a drawback to the work, Dut there are compensations "such as security of tenure, the honours list, pensions, ete. All public men have to face the full are of the spot light. If they stand forth prominently they are bound to excite public interest, "where the limelight is brightest, there fall the darkest shadows." In actual fact the Cadet Service, by the nature of the work cut, does not come in for #0 much criticism as, let us say, the P.W.D. There is a little good-natured ftippancy about a fine imposed magistrate, but when a retain collapses or a bridge fails 4 first class inquiry with publicity and even possible far as we can gather the people in Jamaica are far less likely to be silent than the residents of Hongkong. Recent Governors there have had difficulties such as have beer unknown in this Colony. On at least one occasion all of the members of the Legislative Council absented themselves as a public protest against some action -of HE. the Governor then in office. The little gibe about anonymous writers 1s Just beating a dead horse. It is an Accepted practice of British journalism that much of it is anonymous. Tu a small community it is only natural that the news and fresh ideas should be collected from those who have no desire to be cross-examined in public places by their friends about matters which they discuss in newspapers. Then, again, there is always the danger of persecute It is only fair that anyone who has real grievance should be able to air it without the risk of losing his livelihood, Intolerable if Uneriticized Wo have nothing but praise for the civil service collectively, but we do not believe that all of the wisdom of the Colony is concentrated in that service. We have, moreover, an autocratic form of government [which would be intolerable if it were not subject to criticism, Sir Edward Stubbs, who is still a comparatively young man, has many opportunities before him to do useful work in the British Empire, If he does good work he will reap his reward, whilst engaged upon it he will have necessarily to fac public criticism, and, if he is wise, he will change his attitude towards it Through his career here, the representative of His Britannic Majesty has frequently announced his per-tonal dislike for making speches, It is, however, one of "the jobs of!
attached to the office, Meet of us have to perform some duties take very seriously the words Sir Edward stubbs, on the sub-of "the Silent Service." He will in Jamaica, as in Hongkong, all his words and actions are likely to be watched carefully, As.
At a meeting on Tuesday, ree presentatives of local Chinese tions decided to form a new tion to be known as "The National Citizens' Convention Preparatory Society." The offices will be in the Heung Shan Residents' Association in Jukong Road, S
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.