CO129-534-3 Report of Retrenchment Commission 4-5-1931 - 19-2-1932 — Page 97

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TREASURY REPORT

Considered purely as a department the Treasury is

The

not in the opinion of the Commissioners overstaffed.

amount of revenue received over the counter at the Treasury

is about 12 lakhs monthly and for each payment a receipt has

to be given at the time. The Commissioners are glad to learn

that it is proposed to instal machines for the issue of

these receipts. Not only will this enable some reduction in

clerical staff to be made, but it will enable receipts to be

issued with the minimum of delay. Apart from this the

Commissioners do not recommend any reduction, as they feel

that it would only result in a loss in efficiency and hence

in revenue.

2.

The Commissioners consider that enough importance has

not been attached in the past to the post of Treasurer, and

that it is probably due to this that he has not taken his

proper place in the administration of the Colony. The

functions of the Treasurer are most important. Not only is

he the financial adviser to Government, but he is the

custodian of the Government's money. He should therefore

warn Government if he considers that any proposed expenditure

is financially undesirable, and in the event of his

expressed opinion being over-ruled he should request the

Government to forward his representations to the Secretary

of State for the Colonies. The fact that he is a servant

of the Government should not mean that he is only to give

his opinion on financial matters when it is asked. He should

give it whenever, in his capacity as Treasurer, he deems it

necessary.

3.

The Commissioners in their report on the Colonial

Secretary's Office have recommended that a number of matters