CO129-584-2 Estimates 1941-2 21-2-1941 - 11-6-1941 — Page 39

Extract from the

SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST 21st February, 1941.

40

UNOFFICIALS ATTACK

GOVERNMENT SERVICE

RANKS SHOULD BE PURGED

DEBATE ON BUDGET

FINANCIAL POLICIES

CRITICISED

SPECIAL COMMISSION TO PROBE IMMIGRATION OFFICE CONDUCT

TAXES NOT OPPRESSIVE

Outspoken criticisms of Government Administration in general and the conduct of several departments in particular were made by Unofficial Members of the Legislative Council yesterday, when a debate on the Budget introduced by the Financial Secretary (the Hon. Mr H. R. Butters) on January 16 was held.

His Excellency the Acting Governor, Lieut-General E. F. Norton, was unable to preside at the meeting owing to an injury sustained while walking in the country on the previous day, and his place was taken by the Colonial Secretary (the Hon. Mr N. L. Smith).

The Hon. Mr J. J. Paterson, Senior Unofficial Member, asked how not one Civil Servant was ever dismissed for inefficiency, although the conduct of some of Government's affairs was bad. Referring to the evacuation, he said that all three parties to it had behaved badly-the Colonial Government, the Home Govern- ment and some of the evacuees, who continued to complain.

The need for the overhauling of the Government system was stressed by the Hon. Mr S. H. Dodwell, who emphasised the extreme seriousness of the many adverse reports and complaints which far too many members of the public had brought. On the question of taxation, he said that, compared with Home, the Colony was ridiculously lightly taxed, but he was not in favour of increasing taxation on the low level incomes in view of the excessive rise in the cost of living.

A strong attack against the administration of the War Revenue Ordinance, the Immigration Office and the Food Controller, was made by the Hon. Mr M. K. Lo, who appealed for more civility by civil servants in the performance of their duties. He also opposed the proposed revision of the principles under which war taxation was based, pointing out that it was fundamentally opposite to that taken up by Government when the Bill was introduced.

Perhaps the most outspoken comment against the Govern- ment came from the Hon. Mr Leo D'Almada, Jnr., who urged it to emulate the dictators in one regard, and that was to take measures to purge its ranks. The Hon. Mr D'Almada also spoke of racial distinction in Government employment, and said that if the libel laws were not so strict the correspondence columns of the newspapers would be full of the most interesting disclosures and revelations.