2.
94
Department that heads of departments all appeared to the
Commissioners to be anxious and willing to accept full
responsibility for the running of their departments, but the
Colonial Secretary's Office apparently will not let them have it.
Having diagnosed the malady it is necessary to prescribe
3.
the cure.
Firstly, heads of departments should be permitted
to incur expenditure on all ordinary items of a uniform kind
which have been approved by Legislative Council, without
having to obtain prior authority from the Secretariat.
Power
The Treasurer always keeps a watchful eye on the spending of
money, and notifies heads of departments if he considers that
they are exhausting too rapidly or too early in the year any
of their departmental votes. To give effect to this
recommendation all that will be necessary will be to reduce
the number of items excluded from the General Warrant.
to do this is contained in Colonial Regulation No.262.
4.
Secondly, all ordinary matters which involve the
expenditure of public money should be dealt with direct
by the Treasurer and the head of the department concerned.
Only in cases where policy is involved, or where there is a
disagreement between the Treasurer and the head of the
department, or between heads of departments, should reference
be made to the Colonial Secretary's Office. It will be
sufficient to enumerate a few of such matters. Rent and house
allowances, passages, pensions, indents on and all correspondence
with the Crown Agents, etc. etc.
5.
Thirdly, there are other matters in which neither the
Secretariat nor the Treasury are concerned.
These should be
The
solely within the competence of heads of departments.
personal files of officers who are confined to me department,