CO129-574-12 Revenue Service- grading and promotion 11-10-1938 - 11-11-1938 — Page 15

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the hands of Revenue Officers because the Senior Revenue

Officer has been diverted to anti-narcotic work, and the

Chief Preventive Officer, despite working long hours of overtime, cannot possibly look after everything. lt may

be mentioned for example that one officer is in charge

of the 1mports and Exports Office Kowloon, and is respon-

-sible for Kowloon and Holts Wharf godowns, also general

control of Chinese staff in Kowloon. Another officer is

responsible for all West Point godowns. With the except-

-ion of tobacco and light oils stored in licensed ware-

-houses these godowns contain all the dutiable cargo in

the Colony, the value of which amounts to several million

dollars. Another officer is in charge of the British

Cigarette Company's tobacco warehouse and factory in

respect of which average payments of $477,000. in net

duty, and $400,000. in drawback are paid monthly; another

officer is responsible for the Nanyang Company's prem-

-ises with corresponding payments of approximately

$490,000. and $260,000. monthly. The responsibility

borne by such officers is heavy, and we respectfully sub-

-mit that it should not be imposed on any junior sub-

ordinate officer. We feel that responsibility should

be commensurate to salary, and that officers on duties

such as have been mentioned should work under direct

supervision from a senior officer who carries the res-

-ponsibility, which is not now the case. We believe that

in presenting this side of our case we can cite the

general practice in all parts of the Empire in support.