CO129-489 - Governor Sir Stubbs & Sir Clementi - 1925 [8-12] — Page 416

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H.E. THE GOVERNOR. H.E. THE GOVERNOR : Gentlemen, the Director of Public Works and the Colonial Secretary, in a speech which may be described as his swan song, have dealt with most of the points raised. There are, however, one or two on which I should like to say a few words, pre- facing them with the observation that if I had realised earlier that this was the last occasion on which the Colonial Secretary would probably attend a meet- ing of the Council 1 should have fore- stalled the remarks of the senior Chinese member. I did not realise that the Council would probably not meet again between my departure and that of the Colonial Secretary, and I should like at this point to take the opportunity of thanking him for the highly ethcient manner in which he has served as Colonial Secretary for some 14 years in this Colony and for the entirely adequate way in which he has taken the place of Governors during temporary absences.

JUNIOR CLERICAL SERVICE,

To come to more immediate points. The hon. Senior Unofficial Member re- terred to the question of classifying the Junior Clerical service separately. The Colonial Secretary dealt with one point of view. Mr. Holyoak's point was that under the old system you could see the exact cost of a department. The answer is that you could not. At whatever figure the cost came out it was not the ngure of the estimates because the cost of the clerks was bound to change in two or three months. If you will take the figure under a department in the estimates and add to it the figure given in the ap- pendix, you will get a very much nearer approximation of the truth. But the truth in these cases lies at the bottom of a deep well. The clerical service grouped together saves considerable ex- penditure of time and stationery in the Treasurer's office and I confidently as- sure members that this change, for which I take entire responsibility, is a salutary and useful one.

The hon. member also mentioned the question of the abolition of the statistical department. 1, like the hon. member and everybody else, am entirely unable to understand the enor- mous cost of this department, but it is perfectly obvious that the cost was far more than we were justified in paying for statistics which apparently were not required for the commercial community who took no interest in them, and whose accuracy could not be guaranteed in any way whatever. It may be possible, I understand, through a semi-official agency to provide statistics equally valuable at a reasonable rate, and that question will be gone into. At the same time there is a matter in connection with this subject to which I am sorry to have to refer. There is no question that the necessity of providing these statistics gave rise to a great amount of abuse. In connection with these statistics, per- mits were required for exports, and I have it on evidence I cannot reject that the necessity of applying for these per- mits was used by clerks of that depart- ment for purposes of obtaining what is known as "

squeeze." Had I understood this matter before I should have had an investigation made at once, and I shall certainly not consent to the reconstruc- tion of this department without that matter being investigated. I appeal to our Chinese colleagues to ask them to urge their countrymen to bring such cases to the notice of the Government. I am constantly receiving complaints of squeeze " in the Government service,

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