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PUBLIC
PECORD OFFICE
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Reference :-
C.O.882/12
| PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
| ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE
BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- |-COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO.
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investigation, but that we would be glad to receive any representa- tions on any matter covered by our enquiry from any person interested, and that at a later stage we proposed to arrange for interviews and for meetings to consider such representations. His Excellency the Governor emphasized the fact that we particularly hoped to receive the assistance of the Members of the Council of Government.
We received a number of written notes from individuals of all classes of the community, and our time during the second month was largely given up to interviews with leading representatives of the political, economic, and social life of the Colony. In all we had thirty-three interviews by appointment, allotting one and a half hours ordinarily to each interview. Among the persons whom we interviewed were all the elected and nominated Members of the Council of Government, and also several ex-Members, the Mayor and two other representatives of the Municipality of Port Louis, the Chairmen of the local Boards of Commissioners of Curepipe and Beau Bassin, the Chairmen and representatives of the two Chambers of Agriculture and Commerce, the representa- tives of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the agents of the Oil Islands societies, a deputation from the Muslim Community. including the President of the Juma Mosque who was then visit- ing the island, and representatives of the sugar and tobacco industries and of leading European and Indian merchant firms of Port Louis. We also received a deputation from the Civil Service of Mauritius.
We personally visited and inspected all the more important public institutions, or a representative section thereof, including the civil hospital of Port Louis and the district hospitals of Poudre d'Or and Mahebourg, the leper hospital, two State elementary schools, the Royal College at Curepipe, the Government Technical and Trades Schools, the Observatory at Pamplemousses, the rail- way engineering workshops at Plaines Lauzun, the Government public works stores at Parc-à-Boulets, the Institute and Museum at Port Louis, the central prison and Industrial School at Beau Bassin, the Mare-aux-Vacoas waterworks, the unfinished irrigation canal and the reservoir of La Nicoliere, and the botanical gardens of Pamplemousses and Curepipe. We also inspected, as examples of the local public services, three post-offices, three district cashiers' offices, three magistrates' court offices and two dispensaries.
We were most hospitably permitted to make a detailed visit of inspection to one of the largest of the sugar estates and factories. Sans Souci, and to the new aloe fibre bag factory at Quatre Bornes, and are much indebted to Mr. Pierre Montocchio, chair- man of the Chamber of Agriculture, and to Captain H. G. Hitch- cock. M.B.E., of the Anglo-Ceylon Company for inviting us to and conducting us over these factories.
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We should not omit to mention our visit to an excellently organized Exhibition of the lesser industries of the island which was held at Curepipe.
Our visits took us over all the main roads of Mauritius.
Before our departure from London we had been informed that it was expected that our stay in the island would last for two months, and this in fact proved to be the time which we required for completing our investigation. We sailed from Mauritius on the 26th October, travelling by the new monthly service of the Dutch K.P.M. Line to Durban, and thence by the Union-Castle Line to Southampton, where we arrived on the 30th November.
We were able, before leaving Mauritius, to prepare in draft the greater part of our report, and to discuss it with His Excellency the Governor, who was therefore acquainted with our views in detail. We left with His Excellency copies of our draft chapters on the major departments and on our policy of retrenchment and taxation, subject inevitably to such corrections and minor additions as we might find it necessary to make in the process of revision.
The method of arrangement which we have followed in this report has been, after a brief introductory chapter stating the salient facts about the Colony, to set out in appropriate groups our review of and recommendations regarding the separate depart- ments of the Government. We then, in chapter XIII, have con- sidered measures which apply generally to the civil services and in chapter XIV have reviewed the case for additional, taxation, both general and local. Chapter XV summarizes the effect of our recommendations on the Colonial budget for this year and for 1932-33. We have not compiled a summary of our recommenda- tions, but Appendix II is a statistical synopsis of the changes which we propose in each department,
Chapter XVI, in conclusion, gives our impression of the present state of the industries of the island.
We desire to express our warmest thanks to His Excellency Sir Wilfrid Jackson, K.C.M.G., and to Lady Jackson for their hospitality to us at Réduit, and our deep obligation to His Excel- lency for the complete facilities which he gave us, both for personal discussion and for inspection, during our work in Mauritius. All possible help and guidance was given to us by members of all grades of the Mauritian public services, and we have in particular to thank Sir Allan Grannum, C.M.G., the Colonial Secretary, for anticipating so many of our wants in the statements and other information which we found prepared for us on our arrival.
We should also like to be allowed to mention the great courtesy and hospitality which we received from His Excellency M. Repiquet, the Governor of the neighbouring island of La Réunion, during our stay in that island on the way to Mauritius.
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