CO885-(11-12) — Page 610

530

140

2 Arrangements have now been made to give effect to Lord Passfield's sugges tion that the Inspector of Prisons for the Straits Settlements should also be Inspector of Prisons for the Federated Malay States, and Captain Hancock will assume the duties of the joint appointment on the 1st January next. It has been arranged that Captain Hancock's salary should be shared in accordance with the prison populations in the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States, and on that basis the Straits Settlements will for the present pay two-thirds and the Federated Malay States one-third. This proportion will be liable to adjustment in the future. It is proposed that the salary to be paid to Captain Hancock, which is now on the scale of $800-30A-$950 a month should be increased to $1,050 a month, and I would ask approval of that rate.

3. I consider, and the Legislative Council has agreed, that in view of the addi tional work assigned to the Inspector of Prisons, which will necessitate his frequent absence from Singapore, a new appointment of Superintendent of the Singapore Prison should be created from the 1st January next, when Captain Hancock will assume the duties of the joint appointment and provision for this new post has been entered in the draft Estimates for 1932. The select Committee on the Estimates, in considering the salary scale of the new appointment, was of opinion that the initial salary should not be as high as $700 a month, which was the salary suggested in my despatch No. 547 of the 10th October, 1930,* and recommended that the scale should be $500-25A-$800 a month the reason being that a subordinate prison official (i.e., a gaoler) would have to act for the Superintendent, when on leave, and that $500 a month would be sufficient remuneration for such an official.

4. I would ask, therefore, that the creation of the proposed new appointment of Superintendent of the Singapore Prison may now be sanctioned and that an officer may be selected to fill it as soon as possible. I enclose an amended Paper of Particulars† to replace that enclosed with my despatch of the 10th October, 1930. I recognize that it may be difficult to engage an officer on the initial salary of $500 a month and would suggest that, if necessary, the initial salary offered might be increased up to a maximum

of six increments.

5. When the selection is being made it should be borne in mind that the officer selected will rank second to the Inspector of Prisons, Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States, and will be called upon to act for that officer when he is absent from duty. It is, therefore, very important that the officer appointed should have had considerable experience of prison administration.

I have, &c.,

C. 82185/31 (No. 2].

(No 3.) SIB.

No. 56.

STRAFTS SETTLEMENTS.

C. CLEMENTI,

Governor.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNOR.

Downing Street, 6th January, 1932.

I BAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No. 555 of the 27th of October last, and to inform you that I approve the appointment of Captain O. L. Hancock as Inspector of Prisons, Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States, with salary at the rate of $1,050 a month, with effect from the 1st of January, 1932.

2 I also approve the creation of a new appointment of Superintendent of the Singapore Prison, with salary on the scale $500-25A-$800 a month. Steps will be taken to select a suitable candidate for the appointment as soon as possible.

I have, &c.,

P. CUNLIFFE-LISTER.

141

IX. RECONSTITUTION OF THE OFFICE OF COLONIAL ENGINEER AND THE REORGANIZATION OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.

C. 82472/81 [No. 1].

No. 57.

STATES SETTLEMENTS.

FEDERATED MALAY STATES.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 24th November, 1931.)

(Confidential (2).)

[Answered by No. 58.]

SIR,

I HAVE the honour to seek your sanction for the reconstitution of the office of Colonial Engineer, Straits Settlements, under the new title of Director of Public Works, Straits Settlements, and Adviser on Public Works to the Malay States with effect from the 1st January, 1932. The creation of this office, which will involve the abolition of the posts of Director and Deputy Director of Public Works, Federated Malay States, is an essential part of the new scheme of reorganization of the Public Works Depart- ment which was agreed to by Their Highnesses the Rulers of the Federated Malay States at the Durbar held at Sri Menanti on the 18th August, 1931.

"Bel Retiro," Penang Hill, Penang, 29th October, 1931.

2. On my return from leave I discussed this matter at a conference with all the Unofficial Members of Legislative Councils in Singapore and with all the Unofficial Members of Federal Council in Kuala Lumpur. No objections to my proposal in its present form have been made and at its last session held on 28th September, and 12th and 14th October, the Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements approved this re- organization scheme and sanctioned the necessary expenditure involved in personal emoluments in the Budget for 1932 which shows a very considerable saving over the 1931 Estimates in the salary of the proposed new appointment. This proposal will be embodied in the Federal Budget, which is due to be passed next month.

3. The officer appointed to be Director of Public Works, Straits Settlements, and Adviser on Public Works to the Malay States, will exercise and perform within the Colony the powers and duties inherent in the office of Colonial Engineer. In his capacity as Director-Adviser his duties will be as follows:-

(a) He will be responsible for the control of the Malayan Civil Engineering Service, and effect transfers of Engineers throughout the Colony and the Malay States after due consultation with the Administrations concerned. (b) He will pay periodic visits to each State and inspect the work of the State Public Works Department. The results of every such inspection will be submitted by him in the form of a report to the State Government. He will have no power to issue orders but only to give advice.

(c) He will give advice on any matter referred to him by the State Engineer of any State or by any State Government, and will keep each State Govern- ment informed of any important engineering developments in any other State or Settlement.

(d) He will be responsible for the compilation and issue of instructions on purely professional (as distinct from administrative) matters to all officers of the Malayan Civil Engineering Service, so that engineering practice may be uniform throughout Malaya.

(e) He will be responsible to me and through me to all the owner-Governments, for the proper running of joint institutions such as the Federated Malay States Government factory.

4. The salary attached to the new post should, I consider, be the same as that recommended in my Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Confidential despatch* of even date for the new appointment of Director of Medical and Health Services, Straits Settlements, and Adviser on Health and Medicine to the Malay States, i.e., $1,350 a month. The salary would be divided in equal shares between the Straits Settlements and the Federated Malay States.

5. The cost of visits to the Unfederated Malay States should be defrayed by those States and it is suggested that the most convenient method would be the payment of a

* No. 69.

* C. T2187/30 (No. 1]: not printed.

† Not printed here.

‡ No. 55.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference -

111.1 C.O.882/12

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE 8F REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

142