CO129-457 - Public Offices - 1919 — Page 681

and a half percent in excess of twenty-five pounds in

connection with disbursements by a Consular Officer in

any single transaction, without special authority from

the Department of His Majesty's Government concerned, who

would, in consultation with the Foreign Office consider

whether the amount of work and responsibility involved

justified the grant of remuneration on a larger scale.

3. The Secretary of State also decided that the total

amount of commission on disbursements at any one place on

behalf of any one Government Department during any one

calendar year should not exceed one hundred pounds

without similar authority.

£25.

Copy.

No.25.

P.0.Box 46.

(161426).

H. B. M. CONSULATE,

SAIGON,

£100.

4. Lord Curzon is aware that it is not the usual

practice of the Secretary of State for the Colonies to pay

commissions on transactions of this nature, but he feels

that, in view of the particular difficulties surmounted by

Mr.Fitzmaurice, it is possible that the Hong Kong Government

may be prepared to make an exception in this case.

I am,

Sir,

Your most obedient,

humble Servant,

WathaGoming

Sir,

COCHIN-CHINA.

October 20th, 1919.

670

I have the honour to invite your reference to my despatch

No.21 of the 15th September 1919 regarding the assistance

given by me to the Colonial Governments of the Straits Settle-

ments and Hongkong with respect to the purchase of rice here on

their behalf for Food Control purposes, and to Foreign Office

Circulars 24463/16K of March 1st 1916 and 137598/250/K of

August 1918 regarding commissions on disbursements made by Con-

sular officers and remuneration for services rendered in respect

of work carried out on behalf of other Departments of His

Majesty's Government.

In my despatch mentioned particulars were given of the

circumstances in which I purchased 27,500 tons of rice, at

first for the Government of the Straits Settlements, of which

rice half was subsequently transferred to the Government of Hongkong and half to the Government of the Netherlands East

Indies.

The operations alluded to in that despatch are now ap- proaching conclusion and shipment to Hongkong of all the rice purchased by that Government will be completed within about a fortnight. The time therefore seems to have arrived when I may reasonably venture to submit for your consideration, in accord- ance with the directions in your Circular of August 21st 1918,

an/

The Right Honourable,

A.J.Balfour, O.M., M.P.,

His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs,

Foreign Office,

London.

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