CO885-(11-12) — Page 336

PECORD OFFICE

Reference -

C.O.882/19

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า

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE. LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE AF REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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post of Customs Examining Officer on the scale of Rs.3,600-240- 4,800 and half of his Excise salary of Rs.2,310 is diverted to an Assistant Examining Officer who replaces him in this post.

With these deductions the staff of the Customs Outdoor Branch stands as follows:-

Outdoor Branch.

Bonded Warehousekeeper King's Warehousekeeper Assistant King's Warehouse-

keepers

Porters

Foreman of Cranes

Examining Officers

Salary. Rs.3,600-240—4,800. Rs.3,600-240——4,800.

2 at Rs.2,500-200-3,500.

1 at Rs.1,800-150-2,400.

6 at Rs.540.

Rs. 720-45-900.

1 at Rs.5,000—200-6,000.

4 at Rs.3,600-240-4,800. 2 at Rs.2,500-200--3,500.

Allowances to 7 Examining Officers at Rs.240 each.

allowance to one Examining Officer Rs.1,000.

Assistant Examining Officers Preventive Officers

First Class Preventive Men Second Class Preventive Men Additional Preventive Men Female Searchers

Crew of Patrol Boats

Sweepers

3 at Rs.2,000.

Personal

1 at Rs.3,600—240—4,800. 1 at Rs.2,500-200-3,500.

3 at Rs.1,800-150-2,400.

10 at Rs.1,620—60—1,920.

16 at Rs.960-120-1,620.

25 at Rs.720.

2 at Rs.200.

2 drivers at Rs.780, 3 Cox- swains at Rs.546, and 8 Boatmen at Rs.480.48. 3 at Rs.360.

19. We see no reason to think that the staff of Examining Officers is excessive, but we are impressed by the somewhat dis- proportionate number of the Preventive Staff. This staff is em- ployed wholly on water-guard duties for the prevention of smuggling and is concentrated at Port Louis, the only place in the Colony where any real danger of smuggling can be said to exist. Although it is necessary for an uninterrupted watch to be kept both day and night, we cannot think that the opportunities for the illicit landing of goods are such as to justify so numerous a preventive staff, and we feel doubtful as to the degree of reliance that can be placed upon men employed on such duties at so low a rate of pay as that of the most junior of the four grades into which this staff is subdivided. As we understand that this grade is employed on exactly the same duties as the two grades immediately above

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it, we can see no justification for so great a disparity in remunera- tion, and we think that it would be a gain in efficiency as well as in economy to maintain a smaller total staff on a higher average rate of pay.

We would suggest therefore that the grade of Additional Pre- ventive Men should be abolished and the Second Class grade should be increased by eight, that these additional officers should be re- cruited on a probationary footing for a period of not less than two years during which they should remain on the minimum salary, and that they should not be entitled to increments until the satis- factory completion of their probation period.

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The Collector agreed that with the volume of trade as it bas existed during the past two years the staff of Assistant Warehouse- keepers at the King's Warehouse might be reduced by one.

We put to him the further suggestion that it was not necessary to maintain separate launch services, for the Marine and Customs Departments, respectively, and that some saving might be effected by having only one service. The Collector estimated this saving at Rs.2,467 and agreed that the suggestion was practicable.

20. In the preceding section dealing with the Department of the Treasury, we drew attention to the anomalous separation of the spirit and tobacco excise, and suggested that their administration should be combined as a sub-department of the Customs. This suggestion is a restricted and a modified form of the proposal which has already been made by the Deputy Collector of Customs, and while we are unable to adopt his wider proposal of including the Licence Duty and other Inland Revenue Services in the transfer, we are in general agreement with his scheme of reorganization of the headquarters Customs staff.

With the addition of the important work of the control of spirit distillation it will be desirable to set up a special excise organiza- tion within the department and we agree with the Deputy Collec- tor's suggestion that this organization should be in the immediate charge of an officer of the rank of Surveyor, and that an officer of the same rank should be appointed to the executive control of the Outdoor Customs Branch. The Deputy Collector who would be the immediate administrative Head of both branches, could then delegate to the latter officer certain of the duties, particularly those of Landing Surveyor, which at present have to be performed by himself.

The Customs Surveyor would also, as suggested, assume the duties at present discharged by the Chief Clerk of the Customs Department and would be in general control of the indoor as well as of the outdoor Customs work.

The post of Excise Surveyor would be in substitution for the existing post of Superintendent of Inland Revenue. The staff to be transferred from the Treasury would be that of the rum ware- house, together with the six Inspectors now employed upon the work of distillery inspection.

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