CO885-11 — Page 493

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O.882/11

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

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the recruitment of Ceylonese to branches of the public service other than the Civil Service and the Police, I see no reason to believe that they would not be satisfied with a reaffirmation of the principle referred to above and an assertion that that principle will be strictly followed in future. The fact that Executive Committees of the State Council are called upon to make recommendations for the filling of appointments provides a safeguard against the transgression of this principle which did not exist under the old Constitution.

4. As regards the Police, it has been laid down by the Secretary of State that until the superior posts in that service are filled 50 per cent. by Europeans and 50 per cent. by Ceylonese, the ratio of recruitment shall be two Ceylonese to one European, one out of each two Ceylonese appointments being filled by direct appointment of a probationer and one by promotion from the rank of Inspector. As there are at present. 24 Europeans and 16 Ceylonese in the gazetted ranks of the Police service, the existing ratio of recruitment will normally continue in force for some years. I have at present no indication that it is looked upon with disfavour by the Ceylonese themselves, and I do not now propose that it should be altered. I do, however, regard it as of the utmost importance that future European cutrants to the Service should be adequately informed as to the present conditions of service in Ceylon. I propose, however, to deal with this question more fully in a later paragraph of this despatch.

5. In the case of the Civil Service the present ratio of recruitment is 50 per cent. Ceylonese and 50 per cent. European. But, as Your Lordship is aware, when a vacancy is due to be filled by a European it is the practice to award it to a Ceylonese, should a Ceylonese candidate secure a higher place in the competitive examination than any European candidate. It is obvious that in the case of the Civil Service, as in the case the Police, the fixation of a ratio of recruitment is necessary. In the case of services where no special technical qualifications are required, the simple principle which obtains in the case of the technical services cannot be applied. While I realize that it is desirable for many years to come that the Ceylon Civil Service should contain a backbone of European officers, and while I fully believe that the disappearance of that backbone would be regretted by a large body of Ceylonese opinion as well as by European interests in the Island, I have, since my arrival in Ceylon, carefully studied the marked alterations which have taken place in general conditions of service since I was here as Colonial Secretary, and I have felt grave doubts as to whether the present ratio of recruitment for the Civil Service should be maintained. I accordingly summoned a conference consisting of the three Officers of State and four senior repre- sentatives of the Civil Service, to discuss the question. The conference reached the unanimous decision, with which I find myself in accord, that for the next few years at any rate there should be no further recruitment of Europeans for the Civil Service. The reasons which actuated the members of the conference generally in reaching this decision were as follows:-

(i) There is a general feeling among the Ceylonese, which is shared by Ceylonese members of the Civil Service, that sufficient numbers of adequately qualified Ceylonese are available for appointment by open competitive examination, and that further recruitment of Europeans is therefore unjustified, the quota of European officers now in the service being sufficient pending complete Ceylonization.

(ii) The Ceylon Civil Service does not offer an attractive career for future European entrauts, and if European candidates of the right type were fully acquainted with present conditions they would prefer to seek employment elsewhere.

age

(iii) Owing to the fact that Ceylonese Civil Servants do not usually retire until they reach the age of 60, whereas Europeans usually retire at the of 55, there is every prospect of Class I of the Civil Service becoming com- pletely Ceylonized in a comparatively short time, with the result that, so long as the number of appointments in Class I is limited, and that Class is not part of the continuous time-scale, it appears probable that not only future European entrants, but junior Europeans now in the Service, will have little prospect of rising beyond the top of Class II. It is true that promotion to Class I is by merit, but promotion by merit in a mixed service, though simple in theory, is attended by considerable difficulties in practice. Repeated promotions of Europeans, however superior their attainments, to Class I over the heads of their Ceylonese colleagues would obviously be

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resented both by the Ceylonese members of the Service and by the Ceylonese public. Opportunities would, it is true, occur, as they have occurred in the past, to transfer Europeans of exceptional merit to good posts in the Colonial Service outside Ceylon. Such opportunities are, however, comparatively few and the normal prospects of promotion for new European entrants would be exceedingly poor.

6. For the reasons indicated above I recommend that recruitment of Europeans to the Ceylon Civil Service should cease until further notice. If there is no justification for recruiting Europeans there is obviously none for recruiting Indians and other non- Ceylonese, and I recommend therefore that recruitinent should be confined entirely to Ceylonese. If Your Lordship agrees with my recommendation, I should be grateful if I could be so informed by telegram, as I believe that an announcement of this decision, made at the proper time, would have a very good effect, and might induce members of the State Council to adopt a more favourable attitude when discussing, as they are bound to discuss in connexion with the budget, the emoluments and privileges of Europeans now serving in Ceylon.

7. In his telegram No. 24, dated 4th February, 1931,* my predecessor recom- mended that out of the three vacancies in the Ceylon Civil Service which are to be filled this year only one should be reserved for a Ceylonese. The conference referred to above expressed the opinion, with which I agree, that, if possible, all three vacancies should be filled by Ceylonese. I am not aware to what extent Your Lordship is com- mitted, by the terms of notices regarding the examination now being held, to the recruitment of European candidates who obtain higher marks in the examination than Ceylonese candidates. If it is possible to fill all three vacancies by Ceylonese, and, if Your Lordship agrees that this course should be adopted, I should be glad if I might be so informed by telegram. If, however, Your Lordship is so committed, I regard it as essential that any European candidate who wishes to take up an appointment in Ceylon should be given the fullest possible information as to the conditions of service out here, and in particular as to his prospects of promotion.

8. While I endorse the opinion expressed in paragraph 5 (ii) of this despatch as regards the conditions of service in the Ceylon Civil Service, I do not wish it to be understood that I consider that the introduction of the new Constitution will lead to any very grave and sudden deterioration in those conditions; for such is not my opinion. The new regime will undoubtedly call, to a greater extent than the old, for the exercise of qualities other than mere administrative ability. But an officer possessed of tact and patience should not, I think, find it more difficult to carry out his duties without undue friction with the Ceylonese under the present Constitution than under its predecessor, and may even find it easier. I do, however, unhesitatingly endorse the statement of the Special Commission on the Constitution that constitutional changes of recent years have materially worsened the conditions of service of public officers. Conditions of service in Ceylon are undoubtedly far more difficult and far less congenial than in other Colonies where the administrative officer does not, in the words of the Special Com- missioners on the Constitution, serve two masters to the extent to which he does in this country. I earnestly hope that Your Lordship will find it possible fully to explain the position in this regard not only to any Europeans who may apply for vacancies in the Ceylon Civil Service this year, but to any who may in-future offer themselves for any vacancy in the public services of this Island.

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9. At the conference to which I have referred above the opinion was expressed that, if the recruitment of Europeans for the Civil Service should at any time be resumed, they should be recruited on definite contracts under which they would be able to take action in the local courts in the case of any breach of, or alteration for the worse in, their conditions of service. I agree with this opinion and consider that a similar con- dition should apply to future recruits, or at any rate to future European recruits, to all the public services. Such a condition can however only be introduced by the State Council themselves upon the recommendations of a Salaries Commission. I regard the early appointment of such a Commission as desirable. The State Council feel at present, and with justification, that the Order in Council deprives them of any real control over the emoluments and conditions of service of even Ceylonese public servants, and it is clearly desirable that, as regards future entrants, this position should be altered, and that recruitment should, in future, be upon terms approved by the State Council itself. The Board of Ministers are, as a whole, in favour of the early appoint- ment of a Salaries Commission. Several of them feel strongly, in particular, that the recruitment of Ceylonese officers upon existing sterling salaries should cease as soon as

* C. 83028/31 [No. 12]: not printed.