CO885-(11-12) — Page 468

CORRESPONDENCE

1932 1933

RELATING TO THE

CONSTITUTION OF CEYLON.

389

FR10

| ། ། ། །

PECORD OFFICE

Reference -

C.O.822/15

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

I. CIVIL SERVICE.

(1) Position under the New Constitution.

C. 83368/31 [No. 4].,

No. 1.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNOR.

(Confidential (2).)

Downing Street, 25th February, 1932.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Confidential despatch of the 2nd of December,* regarding the suggestion that I should receive a deputation representing the Ceylon Civil Service Association, and to inform you that I received a deputation, consisting of Mr. P. G. de Glanville, Mr. J. A. Maybin, and Mr. A. H. Strong, on the 19th of February.

2. Mr. de Glanville, speaking on behalf of the deputation, atter expressing their appreciation of my agreement to receive them, said that the Committee of the Ceylon Civil Service Association, with the support of a special general meeting, had decided to ask me to receive this deputation in order that certain facts as to conditions in Ceylon might be put before me which it was thought were insufliciently realized. They were not acting in a spirit of opposition to the present trend of constitutional development in Ceylon, and had no desire to make capital out of the changes. They felt, however, that the security of the Public Service was not being maintained, and in this connexion Mr. de Glanville referred especially to the temporary levy on salaries which has been decided upon by the Government. There had been a strong agitation locally for cutting down the salaries in the Civil Service, and particularly those of the European officials. He said that when the question of a salary cut was under consideration, you had informed him of the fact as Chairman of the Civil Service Association, and that he had discussed the matter with you and with the Officers of State, and was given an opportunity of. putting forward proposals for raising revenue by means of increases in the customs tariff, as an alternative to the reduction of salaries. As a result of those discussions he under- stood the view of the Officers of State to be that the reduction in salaries was not a financial necessity, but had become a political necessity. He understood that you agreed with this view.

3. Mr de Glanville went on to say that the question of the salary cut had been treated in the State Council and the local Press as a political issue, and was regarded as a first victory in the attack on the Public Service. Since it had been accepted, numerous motions had been placed on the Agenda of the Council, calling for changes in the Con- stitution and other action prejudicing the position and security of public servants; and there was a feeling of uncertainty as to how many of these proposals would be carried out. 4. The difficulties of the task of the Governor and the Secretary of State in pro- tecting public servants were, Mr. de Glanville said, fully recognized. The present Constitution was an attempt to create a half-way house, and he did not suggest that it would now be possible to re-establish the full protection of the public servants which might once have been possible. The Special Commission had expressed the hope that the relations between public servants and the unofficial community would improve on the introduction of the new Constitution. Unfortunately, this hope had not been realized, and the opposition to and abuse of public servants continued. He suggested also that there was a tendency for Executive Committees to assume control of appointments and

No. 12 in Eastern No. 154.

I. CIVIL SERVICE.

1. Position under the new Constitution

2. Reduction of Salaries and Allowances

3. Temporary Levy on Salaries

PAGE

1

5

•

SIR,

11

4. Public Service Inquiry-Retrenchment Commission

17

5. Personnel of the Irrigation Department

36

6. Professor of Chemistry, University College-Terms of

Appointment

50

7. Reorganization of the Forestry Department

56

II. NEW CONSTITUTION.

1. Memoranda commenting on the working of the new

Constitution and on Indian Constitutional Reform

66

2. Proposed amendment of the new Constitution

85

III. GOVERNOR'S POWERS UNDER VARIOUS ARTICLES

OF THE STATE COUNCIL ORDER IN COUNCIL.

99

IV. STATE COUNCIL.

1. Debates on Motions

126

2. Readjustment of Electoral Boundaries

131

3. Representation of Jaffna

132