Factors
to be
но
In so far as banks are concerned it is likely that the majority will be adequately represented by those interested from the earliest stages, but the Custodian may have to safeguard their premises for a short time.
With any or all of the other classes the Custodian may be concerned in varying degrees.
(4) With regard to the premises themselves, these may be found
to be
(i) Occupied or unoccupied;
(ii) So damaged structurally or otherwise as to be susceptible
of little further material damage if unprotected; (iii) So damaged as to be uninhabitable or unusable without
extensive repairs;
(iv) Undamaged, or so little damaged as to be readily reparable;
(v) With or without contents, e.g.furniture, machinery, goods, etc. (5) With regard to ownership or representation it may be found -
(a) That the owner is present in the Colony and fully able to
look after his own interests;
(b) That although the owner is present in the Colony he is
unable by reason of some disability (e.g.incapacity through long internment) to look after his property; (c) That the owner is leaving the Colony immediately, as may
be the case with internees,and can find no satisfactory representative;
{2}
That the owner although absent is adequately represented; That the owner is absent and unrepresented.
With classes (a) and (a) the Custodian will not be concerned. Again it may be found that premises which are occupied are in the hands of persons who have no title to occupy them. There is a special note as to such cases.
It is possible that in some districts the Chinese residents may already have created some effective organization in trustworthy hands for safeguarding the property of absentees,or that und er the sponsorship of the Custodian an effective organization of this nature might be created as a means of proving a safeguard until the Custodian's own more detailed procedure can be brought into action.
4. All the foregoing factors,apart from the many varying and unpredictable factors which will be found in individual cases, considered.will have to be taken into consideration by the Custodian when deciding whether he should act and, if so, what action should be taken.
Staff
shortage
5. The Custodian's staff will be very limited. It is hoped that there may be two Assistant Custodians and there may be a few may limit European clerks,but in the main staffing will have to depend on action. local recruitment and the demand for clerks is likely, in the
early days,greatly to exceed the supply.
*
This staff shortage will greatly limit the number of cases in which the Custodian will be able to take action.
Apart from the shortage of clerical staff, it is possible that there may be a shortage of trustworthy persons who could be put in charge of premises as caretakers or watchmen. It would be worse than useless formally to take custody of premises and then to fail to make provision for safeguarding them
In regard to Chinese districts it may be possible to arrange something on the lines indicated in the final sentence of paragraph 3 of these notes.
Limits on 6. It will be noted that section 7 of the Proclamation calls for obligation action by the Custodian only in so far as may be permitted by - to act.
a)the nature and condition of the property affected; (b) the needs of the Allied Forces ;
(c)military exigencies; and
(a) the exigencies of the service.IES DONALD GOLAND DECKE Furthermore,section 9 gives a general discretion to refuse to take into custody &c. particularly where (i) the condition of the property is such by reason of war or other damage or dilapidation that, in the opinion of the Custodian, effective measures for protection and preservation are impossible, or (ii) the property is burdened with onerous covenants or obligations which would involve financial responsibility
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