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PECORD OFFICE

Reference -

11111C.O.882/12

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BF REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- | COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO]

2.

100

In the first place I would draw your attention to the correspondence ending with the 2nd paragraph of Lord Passfield's Confidential despatch dated 15th February, 1930,* on the subject of the retirement, at the age of 55, of Mr. D. J. Wimalasurendra, Deputy Chief Engineer of the Electrical Department. The facts regarding Mr. Wimalasurendra are given at length in my predecessor's Confidential despatch dated 4th December, 1929.Ť The compulsory retirement at the age of 55 of the Ceylonese with good technical qualifications who had risen to so high a post was, of course, very strongly resented by the Unofficial Members of the Legislative Council and was a starting point of a determined attack upon the whole Electrical Department, and in particular upon the Director, Major Lynn, who was wrongly considered to be largely responsible for the decision not to retain Mr. Wimalasurendra's services. The attack has been inten- sified by dissatisfaction with the comparatively slow progress which has hitherto been made by the electrical undertakings of the Government. Various causes, chief among them being the flooding of the Kolonnawa Power Station in May, 1930, and the retardation of the demand for power which has been the inevitable result of the depression, have been responsible for the slowness of that progress, but, prejudiced as they were by the action taken against Mr. Wimalasurendra, the Unofficials have attributed the whole blame to Major Lynn. It has even been suggested that, as he was recommended for employment by a firm of suppliers, Major Lynn's sole interest has been to spend as much money as possible upon the purchase of expensive unnecessary plant. The very high salary drawn by Major Lynn has been another weapon which has been freely used in the attack upon him. Major Lynn is a very capable field engineer who was engaged upon a very high salary as an engineer capable of carrying out the construction of the Hydro Electric scheme. The possibility of his three years' agreement expiring without any decision being reached as to proceeding with that scheme was never contemplated. Major Lynn is not a very good administrator, and is deficient in political sense, and the somewhat pugnacious attitude which he adopted in his own defence and that of his department in the Legislative Council and Finance Committee did not help to allay the violence of the attacks upon him. There is no question that for the purely administrative work of carrying on and developing the Colombo electricity supply a more suitable man could have been found for a much smaller salary.

3. Somewhat unfortunately, Mr. Wimalasurendra obtained a seat in the State Council, and became a member of the Committee of Communications and Works. Finding himself unable to persuade that Committee to join him in his attacks upon the Department in general and upon Major Lynn in particular, he began to intrigue against his own Minister and Committee, and his technical knowledge enabled him, by a course of intensive lobbying, to persuade a number of enthusiastic but ignorant members of the Council who were not members of his Committee, to join him in his attempts to discredit the Director.

4. The Executive Committee were, with the exception of Mr. Wimalasurendra, unanimous in their opinion that the retention of Mr. Hunter's services was essential. But Mr. Wimalasurendra had no difficulty in persuading a majority of the Council that the department was overstaffed. I would mention at this stage that throughout the proceedings there has never been a suggestion that Mr. Hunter is anything but an exceedingly efficient officer. In fact, his very efficiency has contributed in no small measure to the desire to get rid of him. It is well known that in matters of administra- tion he is the Director's right-hand man, and those who are determined at all costs to discredit Major Lynn have undoubtedly felt that the disappearance of Mr. Hunter would facilitiate their task.

5. The decision conveyed in your telegram under reference is of considerable importance, apart from Mr. Hunter's case. It will of course be clear to the State Council that they can, at any moment, without any reason, secure the termination of the agreement of any officer whose agreement contains a terminating clause. You will realize that in the circumstances it will be impossible for me in the future to comply with the instructions contained in Mr. Thomas' Circular despatch dated 17th September, 1931. I have, however, done my best to do so in Mr. Hunter's case by arranging that the unemployment leave due to Mr. Hunter under General Order 267 shall begin upon the date of the expiry of his three months' notice, instead of terminating upon that date, as has been the usual practice. The result will be the somewhat anomalous one

* P.F. 20331 [No. 34]: not printed. † P.F. 20331 [No. 32]: not printed. ‡ Not reprinted.

101

that Mr. Hunter will be upon

+

leave of absence

1

when he is no longer in the service

of the Government.

4

6. I have formed a very high opinion of Mr. Hunter's capacity. He is a very keen student of his subject, is possessed of considerable administrative ability, and has a very sound political sense. Thope that you will find it possible to secure him suitable employment elsewhere, should he apply for it. A copy of the report which is being furnished to the Crown Agents in this connexion in the form* used when an officer's agreement is terminated is enclosed for your information.

C. 93053/32 [No. 1].

SIB,

No. 45.

I have, &c.,

GRAEME THOMSON,

Governor.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 18th April, 1932.) [Answered by No. 17.]

(Confidential.)

Ceylon, 29th March, 1932. In accordance with the provisions of Article 23 (1) of the Ceylon (State Council) Order in Council, I have the honour to report to you the following cases in which declarations have been made under Article 22 (i) (b) of the Order in Council :-

2.

(a) Declaration by Message that "An Ordinance to enable a temporary levy to be imposed on the salaries and wages of persons employed in the Public Services (copy annexed) was a matter of paramount importance see Item 2 (ii) of the annexed copy of Minutest of the State Council, dated 16th March, and correspondence ending with your Secret telegram of 9th February, 1932, No. 35.‡

(b) Declaration in State Council by the Financial Secretary acting on my instruc- tions, that a motion to provide Rs.250,000 for passages for officers, their wives, and families was essential to give effect to the provisions of the Order in Council-see Item 7 of the above copy of Minutes of the State Council and telegraphic correspondence ending with your predecessor's Confidential telegrani No. 198 of 22nd October, 1931.§

(c) Declaration in the State Council by the Financial Secretary, acting on my instructions, that a motion to provide Rs.470,000 for Holiday Warrants for Public Officers was essential to give effect to the provisions of the Order in Council see Item 6 of the above Minutes and Item 4 of the Minutes dated 17th March, 1932† (copy annexed), also telegraphic correspondence ending with your predecessor's Confidential telegram No. 198 of 22nd October, 1931.

(d) Declaration by Message that An Ordinance to amend the Income Tax Ordinance, 1932" (copy annexed) was of paramount importance see Item 2 (i) of the Minutes of the State Council dated 16th March, 1932,

and correspondence ending with your Secret telegram No. 31 of 5th February, 1932.||

Each of the above declarations was made with your prior approval and the reasons necessitating such action having been fully set out in the correspondence to which I have referred it is hardly necessary for me to repeat those reasons in this despatch. As to the desirability of making all these declarations at the same time I might mention that the Board of Ministers pressed strongly for the adoption of this course being of opinion that no advantage was to be gained by postponement of one or more of the declarations and that such postponement would but have the effect of prolonging the resentment which the use of my reserve powers has undoubtedly occasioned. Nor did it appear desirable once the action to be taken had been finally decided upon to leave the Council in a state of uncertainty as to what that action

* Not printed here. + Not reprinted.

No. 15. C. 83227/31 [No. 21]: not printed.

|| C. 92987/32 (No. 7]: not printed.

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