Summer Conference, 1930: How to Fill Higher Posts: Appointments from Without or Promotions from Within?
| Date | 01 October 1930 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9299.1930.tb02000.x |
| Published date | 01 October 1930 |
| Author | William Hart |
Summer
How
to
Fill
Higher
Conference,
1930
Posts
:
Appointments
from
Without
or
Promotions from
Within
?
By
Sir
WILLIAM
HART.
O.B.E.
[Paper
discussed
at
Summer
Conference,
1930
J
HE
subject assigned to me has severe limitations-it
affects
T
directly a comparatively small number of
persons
and
it
only
concerns itself with one aspect of their possible promotion to higher
office.
In
my
perplexity
as to how
I
should treat the subject
I
remem-
bered that a distinguished French author, when
giving
lectures
in
Cambridge
two
years ago confessed that, following the example
of
an
illustrious
predecessor, he did not propose to observe strictly
the
conditions laid down for the subject of
his
lectures, but would follow
the example
of
indiscipline given him. In
his
case
a
brilliant series
of
lectures entirely justified
his
insubordination.
I
am
tempted to
ask whether conduct justifiable when genius
is
concerned may
be
excused when imitated by the plodding pedestrian.
I
might, for example, adopt the role
of
the late Samuel
Smiles
and urge the
juniors
in
the Service, who receive (and despise)
so
much gratuitous advice, to quw themselves for promotion, remind-
ing
them that the heights by great men sought and kept were
not
attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept,
were toiling upwvd in the night. (By which
I
suppose
we
are
to
infer that, sleep at some time
or
other being necessary, they indulged
in
it
during
office hours
as
is reputed to have been aforehe
the
fashion
in
Whitehall.)
I
might
also,
with
the
cordial
approval
of
unsuccessful applicants for higher posts, point out the errors and lack
of
qualification
of
those
persons
or tribunals upon whom
is
cast
the
duty
of
granting
promotions, and show what higher qualities
they
&odd acquire before they exercise their responsibilities.
I
might also discuss the question
of
promotion,
and
from
what
source it should come. There is high authority for the statement
that
457
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