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for economic management. The establishment costs as they stand at present are out of all proportion to the work and call for drastic revision. We submit below a number of recommendations for reduction under this head of expenditure, and, in view of the amount of these reductions and of the other economies involved, we feel justified in devoting a considerable share of our space to their detailed discussion. We deal with the several branches of the department in the order in which they appear in Head 26 of the Estimates of Expenditure for the year 1931-32.

Administrative Staff of the Department.

2. The staff consists of the following officers each of whom has the professional qualifications of a Civil Engineer.

Director of Public Works and Surveys

Salary. Rs.

15,000 pa, plus allow- ance of Rs. 6,000 p.a. from the Improve- ment and Develop- ment Fund.

Deputy Director of Public Works

and Surveys.

13,500

Assistant Director of Public Works

and Surveys.

10,000

The Director of Public Works and Surveys is the Head of the Department and is generally responsible for the whole of its administration. The Deputy Director, while also responsible under the Director for the whole work of the department, divides the immediate professional control of the executive branches with the Assistant Director. It will be convenient to reserve our recom- mendations regarding these higher officers until we have dealt with those branches.

Building Branch.

3. The salaried staff of this branch is as follows:-

Divisional Engineer

Chief Inspector of Works

Inspector of Works ...

3 Assistant Inspectors of Works

Foreman of Works

Assistant Foreman of Works

Salary. Rs. 8,000-500-9,000 5,000—500—6,800

3,600-240-4,800

1,800-150-2,400

4,800-300-6,000

1,800-150-2,400

All skilled and unskilled labour is hired on a daily basis of pay- ment, but many of the temporary employees, particularly overseers

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and foremen, have worked almost continuously for the department for many years, and are eligible for compassionate allowances on retirement after 25 years' service and after attaining the age of 60.

The Divisional Engineer, who appears in the Estimates as the head of the branch, is in fact wholly employed on special duties and takes, no part in the control or general work of the branch. His special duties consist chiefly in the examination of permits for private building. This work is very largely a duplication of that performed by the Sanitary Engineer of the Health Depart- ment to whom the same permits are referred for approval before their submission to the Divisional Engineer of the Public Works Department. It was, indeed, admitted to us in the course of our investigation that there was no need for the latter officer to inter- vene in addition to the Sanitary Engineer, and that the post of Divisional Engineer could safely be abolished on the retirement of the present holder whose service is due to expire in about five years. We see no reason why it should not be abolished imme- diately with a consequential saving in office costs amounting to Rs.3,000 p.a. (including that of the draughtsmen who are employed on a daily basis at a rate of Rs.8 per day).

The actual executive head of the branch is the Chief Inspector of Works who is immediately responsible to the Deputy Director. The Inspectors and Assistant Inspectors are for practical purposes a single grade. There is no difference in the nature of their duties or in the degree of their responsibilities. Each is in charge of a separate district, the four districts together comprising the whole area of the island outside the urban area of Port Louis. Their duties are (1) to prepare estimates of minor constructional or repair works, (2) to prepare requisitions for the materials required, and (3) to supervise and control the carrying out of the work. The estimates and requisitions are submitted to the Chief Inspector for endorsement and submission to the Deputy Director by whom they are finally approved and signed. The Foreman of Works performs similar duties to those of an Assistant Inspector and has charge of the urban area of Port Louis. In addition he super- vises and controls the two departmental workshops (for mechanical repairs and for the making and repairing of furniture for Govern- ment departments) in Port Louis. The Chief Inspector has charge of the building works for the whole island, inspects the work of his subordinates, and conducts the correspondence of the branch with the aid of the general clerical staff of the department. The Deputy Director also makes regular personal inspections of the work and in the case of major works of construction would himself prepare the estimates and take direct control of operations.

أمر الي من روسية الا

PUBLIC PECORD

OFFICE

Reference :-

mhfm C.O.882/12

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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