CO129-590-11 Commission of Enquiry into irregularities in Immigration Departments 22-4-1941 - 19-12-1941 — Page 248

Period

six months

Two Years

Four years Ten years

One year

26-

251

Figures for the period from February 13 to March 25 follow:

Head Office

18,610

6,250

2,075

10,175

50

General Agency.

7รา

9,575

3,268

949

4,059

The figures given in column two include those of the General Agency.

As a number of one-year permits were for the Kobza Agency, they were

handed to the General Agency, hence there is difficulty in determining

the exact figures and the number is accordingly omitted.

We have rid ourselves of the market-like conditions under which we

formerly worked and, in recent weeks, we have been able to satisfy most of

the public with whom we have had dealings, with the result that you do not

now see the crowds lined up outside the doors which formerly saw. The

minute things settled down and work began to run smoothly, all the excite-

ment was over. There is now no need to call out the emergency unit of the

Police, nor is there any need to close the iron grille or the front door,

and the one police constable now on duty finds himself with little to do.

We have been able to learn from experience and we are now reaping the

benefits of what we have learned.

I hold no brief

We have been accused of discourtesy and incivility.

for those who are rude or uncivil and I can assure you that we are doing

everything we can to deal with cases of discourtesy which come to our

attention. Already some staff members have been punished. For your infor-

mation I should like to read a notice issued by the Immigration Officer to

the staff about the middle of January:

"In view of numerous complaints which have been made against the

Immigration Office, members of the staff are hereby warned that

cases of discourtesy to the public will result in the punishment

of the officers concerned. The public is entitled to due courtesy

and proper courtesy must be shown on all occasions.

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