cretariat File No. 12/5401/47
CONFIDENTIAL
GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
HONG KONG,
25th February, 1950.
रूट
4452
(11) on '49
Dear Poynton
In your letter of 7th February you asked for information on certain points raised in Himsworth's memorandum on the reorganisation of the old Imports and Exports Department, now known as the Department of Commerce and Industry. A.G. Clarke has recently been appointed Director of Commerce and Industry and my intention is that, once he has settled himself firmly in the saddle, he should give immediate attention to the question of absorbing the Department of Supplies and Distribution into the Department of Commerce and Industry. Clarke took over only a week ago and is at present in hospital with appendicitis. It is not, therefore, possible to say at the moment to what extent the amalgamation of the two departments can be achieved, nor when the merger will begin to take effect, though recent developments regarding trade with Japan lead one to think that a fair degree of unification should be possible at a reasonably early date. A first step will probably be to investigate and eliminate certain over-lapping which is thought to exist between the two departments. We shall also have to consider the question of suitable accommodation for the enlarged department a question which, as you know, still complicates every project for development here.
Nothing has, of course, yet been done about setting up an advisory "Board of Trade" but this and other of Himsworth's proposals will be for Clarke to consider and advise upon when he has dealt with his more immediate problems.
Clarke has had considerable experience as Deputy Financial Secretary and last year did well as acting Financial Secretary when Follows was on long leave. He should therefore be able adequately to fulfil the role of Economic Adviser, which should be inherent in the post of Director of Commerce and Industry.
Sir Hilton Poynton, K.C.M.G.
Yours sincerely,