if I had the satisfaction of feeling that we had
really achieved much. And since my retirement,
there have been some occasional changes in its
personnel, but I am not in a position to say, for
want of authentic information, what advance has
been made towards higher standards of adminis-
trative efficiency, and what measures of permanent
value have been adopted.
As regards the morale of the service through-
out the State, I should be glad to hear that it had
risen higher or, at least, that it had not fallen
lower.
9
The Council has been in existence for more
than twenty years and ought to be able to place
before the public, a satisfactory record of its
achievements. But our poverty in men, and our
indifference to character, may keep it down at
the level of mediocrity for some time to come.
Sir AH Imam
Sir Ali Imam came to Hyderabad surrounded
with a halo. Not that he was not a fine figure
of a man, but the borrowed lustre which he brought
with him from the Government of India, as an
ex-Member of the Viceroy's Executive Council
made him peculiarly interesting in our eyes. It
was like a magic robe.
The noticeable thing about him was his easy,
affable manner which sat gracefully On his dig-
nified bearing. He had the air of a man who
thought nothing difficult, and he went about his
work—whatever it was, airily and with a cheerful
confidence in himself, thus inspiring confidence in