CO129-590-11 Commission of Enquiry into irregularities in Immigration Departments 22-4-1941 - 19-12-1941 — Page 170

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secondment to the Immigration Office did not reach you in any form

suggesting that you were to go there to take charge of the Department's.

Rccounts?

Mr. Taylor: That is true. I was going over as an Assistant

Immigration Officer.

Mr. Forrest: To you happen to know whether you came to the office

A

with any recomendiation as an accountant?

No, further than that I had done the Supreme Court accounts

for a few years.

then you

I don't know the answer to the question ayself.

first came to the office, you may not be able to remember very

distinctly the conditions in December, but you probably

romezber what they were in februery when you were brought back

from Taipo especially for the work of accountancy. During

those days you have already described the conditions in your

own cubl·le. You had frequent occasion during that time to

consult œe in my room. Can you tell the Commissioners what the

state of that roo3 W467

I found it rather strange that the head of a department should

be surrounded by numerous clerks and that the public should

wander in and out. Many of them o rged in- I found that later -

and my interviews with r. forrast were very unsatisfactory.

I remember likening the conditions to him to a feeing market

at home.

You have, I think, had to wait in a queue sometimes when you

wished to consult me, the queue being composed of other officers

of the Department who had also to consult me on the affairs.

Sven so I think you will find that my interviews when you did

get to the head of the queue were frequently interrupted by

telephone calls.

Yes, and also by persons coming in talking to you.

when you left Taipo to take up duty in the head office, in the

parlous state of the accounts, you found it necessary to

recommend some person as accountant or cashier in Taipo?

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