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ships from the Netherlands Indies per day and an average of one liner every second day; our average of ships, I should explain, is roughly double that and our average number of incoming passengers are roughly quadruple. These facts an:: figures were suplied me by Mr. Huggins of the si: gupɔre immigration Office.
To say that the Immigration Office was sabotaged from the outset would be to go too fur; but it has been in effect subotaged by the refusal of even the most elementary facilities which experience had shown abundantly necessary for its proper and conven- ient functioning. When those facilities were not refused downright
there was delay, more than is adequately explained by the normal demands of office routine. Financial control througnout hus preferred the foms of cheesejaring to wise spending, and financial advice has taken normally the form of criticism in arrears or of advice to utilise the services of non-existant officers or of officers whose duties lay in other spheres instead of rpoviding at least temporarily the services of an officer properly equipped to see the department set on its feet in the matter of an accounting
system.
1 may illustrate the grouter liberality with which the Malayan Immigration office has been treated in this matter of provisioning by quoting one instance. Sope few weeks ago I was asked by the Financial secretary to undertake certain alitional work in connection with control of currency carried by passengers; I agreed to do so, but asked for an assurance tout my engagement of six senior officers specially for this service would not be questioned, I having arrived at that figure after careful consultation with my staff. The reply hinted at scandalous ext.avagance in staffing, and ended by saying that the Financial Decretary would prefer to drop the scheme altogether rather than consent to such waste; the scheme was accordingly dropped. A few days later I learned accidentally fra r. Hugins of the Singapore Immigration office, who happened to be in the Colony, that his staff had just been augmented by 32 Europeans expressly for this work. Anything more
clearly showing the lack of sense of proportion or of imagination
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