CO885-(11-12) — Page 602

PUBLIC PECORD OFFICE

༄། ། ། ། ། །

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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the Chairmanship of the Head of the Postal Department. Each administration, while reserving to itself the right to its own distinctive issue of stamps, entrusts the direction of the Postal Department to the Board subject to certain reservations. The annual estimates of revenue and expenditure will be approved by the participating administra- tions after preparation by the Board, while the Board will be responsible for the collection of revenue and the disbursement of expenditure. The expenditure of the Headquarters of the Board will be regulated by the High Commissioner, expenditure being met by the participating administrations in proportion to their revenue. The status of the Postal Staff is laid down and the relations of the States and the postal authorities defined. Each administration will retain the ownership of all postal build- ings and all equipment within its territory, but will make all purchases and repairs through a Union Stores and Workshop. The Board is entrusted with control over all international agreements and accounts and over all apportionments of revenue and expenditure between the participating administrations. Each administration agrees that the system of postal law and the making of rules thereunder should as far as possible be uniform.

14. I submit that the terms of this agreement are adapted to the local require- ments of Malaya. I feel confident also that the interests of the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Governments are adequately protected, and that this agreement will be mutually beneficial to them. I accordingly ask that your approval may be conveyed for its early execution in order to give effect to development on the lines indicated.

15. In view of the fact that the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States postal services represent considerably more than 90 per cent. of Malayan postal work, I consider it desirable that attention should be concentrated upon the reorganization of the Straits Settlements and Fededated Malay States services in the first instance, and I propose to deal with the policy of their ultimate extension to the Unfederated Malay States in a separate despatch.

I have, &c.,

C. CLEMENTI,

Enclosure 2 in No. 45.

POSTAL BOArd for MalaYA.

High Commissioner.

Ar the Durbar held in Singapore, on the 11th October, 1930, I drew attention to the desirability of a Postal Union for the Malay Peninsula, and explained that, for the better protection of our interests, we ought to have a Postal Authority empowered to speak on behalf of the whole of Malaya, rather than that separate Malay States and the Colony of the Straits Settlements should each try to make special arrangements between themselves and foreign countries. I pointed out that no political considera- tions were involved, but that it was merely a case of endeavouring to obtain the best and cheapest business arrangement possible for the conveyance of our correspondence to and from other countries, and that, in fact, our Post Office ought to be a commercial undertaking run on business lines for the benefit of the whole Peninsula and its inhabitants.

While I was away on leave, a committee with representatives of the Straits Settlements, the Federated Malay States and the Unfederated Malay States was appointed, and its report has now been printed and distributed. The conclusions of that committee were:-

that a Postal Board should be created to co-ordinate postal activities throughout

Malaya;

that this Board should contain representatives of each participating Administra-

tion in the Peninsula; and

that the powers and duties of the Board should include all acts necessary for the working of the posts, telegraphs, and telephones of the Peninsula, as well as the duty of giving advice generally on all questions of apportion. ment of revenue and expenditure between the participating Administrations. The report further recommended that each Administration should have its own stamp issue, that the postal finance of each Administration should be kept separate, that the annual estimates should be approved by each Administration, and that the staff working for the Board in each Administration should be subject to the disciplinary general orders of the Administration in which they were serving.

After careful consideration I accept the conclusions of this Committee with the following modifications, which are rendered necessary by the constitutional changes

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now in contemplation. I propose that the Board should consist of one representative of each participating State, together with two official members and two unofficial members to be nominated by the High Commissioner, with the Head of the Postal Department as Chairman. As regards the title of the Chairman of the Postal Board, this matter also was discussed at the Singapore Durbar last year. There already exists a Postmaster-General for Johore, and I have no wish to alter that title. however, that in a great number of countries the title Director-General of Posts and I find, Telegraphs is now in use, and it seems to me that this title would be suitable for the officer charged with the executive control of posts, telegraphs, and telephones in the Malay Peninsula. The title "Postmaster-General" will then be available for the principal postal officers in those Malay States, including Johore, where such officers are required.

We are concerned chiefly with two points:-

the relations of Malayan Administrations with the outside postal world; and

(2) the relations of the Malayan Administrations with each eposta

It is clear that, when the number of local postal units is increased to ten, or, if the State of Brunei is included, to eleven, the foreign postal relations of all Malayan States will be best dealt with from one centre, that all such dealings would be greatly simplified by this means, and that such an arrangement would be much more economical and satisfactory. If each State possesses independence for external postal purposes, it would be necessary, whenever a new service agreements or arrangements for each of the many units; whereas, if these matters to be introduced, to make separate were dealt with from one centre responsible for the whole area, one agreement or arrangement would suffice for all, and the work involved would be reduced to a tithe of what it would otherwise be, while, at the same time, identical arrangements would operate throughout Malaya. It is, in fact, necessary that Malaya should be con- stituted as a unit in the Universal Postal Union of the World. Incidentally, such an arrangement would make it possible to issue a common air-mail stamp for Malaya, which is now becoming necessary. The change would, I am sure, be welcomed by the British Post Office and the International Bureau at Berne and all foreign administrations.

While, however, it is essential that all the Malay States and the Colony should be one unit for external purposes, there is no reason why there should be any loss of individuality from the internal point of view. Each State will be a separate unit with an executive officer of the State in charge of each unit and its separate stamp issue.

I trust that arrangements on these lines will commend themselves to Your Highnesses. If so, I shall discuss them later on with the Rulers of the Unfederated Malay States.

Enclosure 4 in No. 45.

AN AGREEMEnt for the Constitution OF A POSTAL UNION TO CONSIST OF THE COLONY OF THE STRAITS SETTLEMENTS, THE FEDERATED MALAY STATES OF PERAK, SELANGOR, NEORI SEMBILAN AND PALANG AND SUCH MALAY STATES UNDER BRITISH PROTECTION AS MAY AT ANY TIME APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP OF SUCH POSTAL UNION.

WHEREAS the signatories to this Agreement and each of the other Malay States now adhere severally and individually to the Universal Postal Union.

And whereas it is desired to constitute a single postal area to be styled "Malaya" and to consist of the territories of the signatories hereto and of such Malay States under British protection as may subsequently adhere to this Agreement, which shall adhere to the Universal Postal Union by such name and style of Malaya.

It is hereby agreed between the Governor of the Straits Settlements, for and on behalf of His Britannic Majesty in His Government of that Colony, and the Rulers of the Federated Malay States of Perak, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, and Pahang, each in respect of the State whereof he is Ruler, as follows:-

1. In this Agreement unless the context otherwise requires :-

"Postal" includes mails, air-mails, savings bank and all allied services, telegraphs, telephones, wireless, and broadcasting.

"

Board

"

means the Board constituted under this Agreement.

High Commissioner " means the officer performing the duties of Governor of the Straits Settlements and High Commissioner for the Malay States.

"Administration " means the Government of the Colony and the Govern- ment of each State signing or subsequently adhering to this Agreement.

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