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Chapter Jour The Secretariatfor ChineseAffairs The Secretary for Chinese Affairs' wide-ranging concerns and responsIbilities , together with his very semor pOSltlon, gave him a considerable 'clout' within the Civil Service, and much prestige outside It We had seen perhaps the best example of what remains of Bntlsh Colonial rule --- a Chinese city of millions governed by a handful of Europeans. We had observed the tremendous gap between hVlng conditions in the small Anglo-Western colony with Its schools, fine houses (some of them owned by wealthy Chinese), ItS clubs, numerous servants, luxury hotels and huge office bUIldings, and the squalid life led by the milhons ofChinese under a benevolent, effiCient but over-burdened foreign government. I U pon my return from overseas leave in January 1966, I was given a very different posting, albeit it was to be temporary. The Chief Assistant Secretary for Chinese Affairs was to go on six months' leave and I was to take his place until his return. This was a step up the ladder as the post carried the rank of an Administrative Officer Staff Grade 'C', eqmvalent to Assistant Head of Department. However, despite the grand tItle, I found there was a great gulf between me and my immediate and only head. The Secretary for Chinese Affairs was the third ranking officer in the Administration , coming after the Colonial Secretary and the Financial Secretary. He sat on both the Executive and Legislative CounCIls, was an ex officio member of the Urban Council, and chaired important committees of the leading Chinese charitable organizations in the colony. These duties took the incumbent, John McDouali (SCA 1957-66), away from the office so much that I saw comparatively little of him there. John McDouall's major foible was said to be a dislike of the Government Secretariat, and of being written to or telephoned by any of its officers other than those of his own or near equivalent rank. He was reported as 86 Fnends and Teachers Hong Kong and Its People 1953-87 particularly detesting the sight of any memorandum intended for his personal attention that had been signed by a junior. Be this as it may, the senior officers of the Secretariat did appear to have found him rather difficult. Called in for interview by the Deputy Colonial Secretary just before taking up the appointment, I learned with some astonishment that one of the reasons for sendmg me there was to see that answers were forthcoming to Secretariat memoranda. There must have been something to the stones in circulation; but I found him to be an able and channing man who addressed himself wholeheartedly to his responsibilities for the Chmese population and his staff. The SCA was then housed m the old Fire Brigade Building, located near the Central Market on the one side and opposIte the vehicular and Kowloon ferry piers on the other. Besides the distracting drills and alarms of the firemen and their vehicles, our work was punctuated by the hooting of ferries and enhvened by the nOlses and smells of the market. There was no air-conditioning; ventilation and cooling being provided by large ceihng fans. Reporting for duty, whilst Waiting for the Sec! etary to arnve m the office, a umformed attendant placed a glass of Chinese tea on the table beside me. This recalled my first VISit to the department shortly after my arrival m 1956, when I had noticed what appeared to be brandy in the glasses on the senior officers' desks. 'Rather early in the day to start drinking ', I had mused, but notlcmg the stearn rising from my own glass, had soon realized that it was only tea. Servmg green tea to Visitors was a daily ntual in the department, in keeping with its nature and function; and at that date, most persons entitled to this courtesy would have preferred it to Enghsh -style tea or coffee, with milk and sugar. THE SECRETARY FOR CHINESE AFFAIRS was responsible for advismg the government on matters concerning the Chinese population, in particular those relating to Chinese law and custom, and also for assessing new government policies and keeping their operatIOn under review. His duties were set out in the government's periodically revised General Regulations for heads of other departments to note and follow, and they were expressed in terms of his official persona rather than of his department.2 One of the Secretary's principal roles was to serve as 'a direct channel of communication between...

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