CO129-590-11 Commission of Enquiry into irregularities in Immigration Departments 22-4-1941 - 19-12-1941 — Page 245

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continued until we decided to allow a limited number at a time behind

re the counter to obtain their permits or their despot funds, after

which they left by the back door.

We had far too little furniture. we had to rent some and we had

to borrow some. For days we used two or three wicker stools which we

borrowed from the photographer. For days, it was impossible for some

of the staff to work and for well over three weeks, I myself did not

have a chair because not enough desks or chairs were provided.

During the days of temporary furniture, when working pressure was at

its height, we were provided with eight black dining room tables, but

even these were better than nothing.

We did not have enough stationery or foolscap books and consider-

able delays in the issue of permits were occasioned when we were not

supplied with the necessary permit forms and residence certificates. On

several occasions we almost ran out of stock and, as a result, we had to

ration our issue. I know the Immigration Officer made repeated request

for fresh supplies and it was some days before he received them.

With reference to the question of shroffs, I am certain that, had

we a couple of extra shroffs, the work of the Immigration Office would

have been accelerated considerably.

We ran out of security deposit receipt books just before the

Chinese New Year and, although we made frantic appeals for new supplies,

none were forthcoming. The situation became so serious indeed that, on

the eve of Chinese New Year's Day, the Immigration Officer sent me out

to try and get some non-Government printer to print some. I went from

printer to printer but none would agree to undertake the job because

they said that it could not be done in time and because their staffs

were off for the Chinese New Year. I asked the Editor of the South

China Morning Post for aid but his reply was virtually the same, that

his staff had been depleted on account of the Chinese New Year. I asked

if he could make some suggestions and he made a few which finally led

me to the Central News Agency, whose manager very kindly agreed to print on his mimeograph five hundred receipt forms. These were deliver- ed to me after the Immigration Officer had written an official letter to the Central News Agency appealing to them for their co-operation. The receipt forms were taken back to the Immigration Office, where the