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(ii) Recommendations and consequent action.
C. 84574/31 [No. 1].
No. 37.
Despatch from the Governor of Mauritius to the Secretary of State
(Confidential.)
BIR,
for the Colonies.
(Received 25th November, 1931.)
GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
MAURITIUS.
26th October, 1931.
I have the honour to inform you that Sir Ivo Elliott and Mr. Loughnane, the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the financial situation of Mauritius, sail for England to-day and will present their report on arrival in London.
2. In the meantime they have been good enough to furnish me with a preliminary rough draft of the greater portion of the report and with a letter summarizing the general financial results.
It is not possible for me in the time available to comment on the proposals put forward beyond stating that the report covers an ex. tremely thorough examination of the whole system of administra. tion and contains specific and detailed proposals for the reorganiza- tion of the whole establishment. I cannot refrain from adding that it seems to me a very remarkable record of the surprising amount of ground which the intensive industry of the Commissioners has succeeded in covering in a period of two months.
3. The report, as was indeed, I think, to be expected takes a very serious view of the general position and urges immediate steps for a drastic reorganization which will strike at the root of a good many cherished local traditions. The summary of the results contained in the letter referred to above would not be intelligible without reference to the report itself and I do not therefore enclose a copy but I may indicate briefly the general nature of the more important proposals.
4. In the direction of administrative reorganization and retrench- ment the principal suggestions are:--
(1) A "cut" in official salaries to take effect from the 1st of January at an average rate of ten per cent. subject to various qualifications.
* Cmd. 4034.
75
(2) A reduction of five per cent. in pensions now payable or those about to become payable calculated on existing rates of pay.
(3) The abolition of the Receiver-General's Department and **indoor" functions between the Colonial a division of its Secretary's Office and the Customs Department, the former undertaking accounting and establishment duties and the latter excise duties: the Savings Bank to be transferred to the Post Office.
guards con- (4) The abolition of Revenue Officers and " cerned in the outdoor" control of the licensing and excise systems and transfer of their functions to the Police.
"
(5) The abolition of the Forestry Department leaving a Forestry Officer and a small nucleus of Assistants attached to the Agricultural Department.
(6) A reorganization of the general clerical service reducing the establishment from seven grades to two and reducing the rates of pay.
(7) The return to the Municipality of Port Louis of its func- tions of control of sanitation, roads and subsequently of water supply.
(8) The withdrawal from the Boards of Curepipe, Beau Bassin, and Quatre Bornes of the contribution from Govern- ment shown under Head 22 Miscellaneous of the Estimates, items 14 to 16, and their replacement by an increase of local rates raised by the Boards.
4.
11
44
5. I have mentioned above only the more important changes proposed. There are a number of others which cannot be separately specified. One of the purposes in this proposed reorganization is the abolition of a large number of petty functionaries such as and sanitary guards", revenue guards", fishery "guards' others who carry out their duties under inadequate control and are in many cases said to be open to corrupting influences. The Commissioners propose to make this possible by the remission of a number of minor charges on the collection of which these men are in great part employed. This point is further referred to below. The saving effected by this salary reduction and retrenchment of posts during the current year, assuming that the salary cuts are brought into effect from 1st January and the retrenchments later is estimated by the Commissioners at rupees 485,000 approximately, against which must be set rupees 250,000 approximately for gratuities and pensions, a net saving of rupees 235,000. It may be noted here that the effect of the salary cut alone, apart from retirements, would be about rupees 112,000 in the current year. The total number of officers affected by the retrenchment proposals is about 230.
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PUBLIC
PECORD OFFICE
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Reference
bumili C.O.882/12
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE. LONDON
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