CO129-590-11 Commission of Enquiry into irregularities in Immigration Departments 22-4-1941 - 19-12-1941 — Page 105

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motivated by loss of opportunities for racketeering amounts to a

moral certainty.

To summarise the advantages to the public, to my department, and to Government of the General Agency system, it is sufficient

to say that charges to the public were reduced, standardised

and controlled; that photography was made reliable and guaranteed

as regards suitability; that overcrowding and over work in my office were reduced, though far from being abolished; that a measure of control over the operations of agencies was established, so that it was at length possible to prevent the more flagrant malpractices, such as corruption of my staff with a view to securing priority of treatment, end the selling of false evidence; thet the method of

submission of applications was concentrated and coordinated which made possible the introduction of a system of complete records of applications from the time of their making until the time of issue of the completed document demanded; that provision was made for supply of photographic facilities at spots where facilities were necessary because of incoming passenger traffic, but where owing to the sparsity or irregularity of such traffic a photographic studio could not be established on the basis of isolated commercial prospects.

To offset the se advantages I know of one disadvantage only, and that one which I did not think should be regarded seriously from the

standpoint of administration. It amounts to no more than this, that an advantage is given to one firm as against its competitors. This objection becomes important only if one regards a public department more as an opportunity for private gain then as a vehicle for service to the community or to the Government.

The last point leads me on to the question of the staffing of my office; because it is difficult to find any other fundamental

grounds for the objections which had been taken to the methods by which I have selected my staff for appointment, or to the selection which I in fact made in accordance with these methods. That there would be difficulty in finding adequate and competent staff to carry on the department was patent from the outset, and that difficulty