CO129-590-11 Commission of Enquiry into irregularities in Immigration Departments 22-4-1941 - 19-12-1941 — Page 279

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All

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I.E.'s decision, with which you concurred, was that there was

nothing in the X.C.'s decision to preclude my doing so.

Mr. Smith: Giving certain preference to him over others?

Q. Yes. I interpreted it that I could make such arrangements with

the agents as I thought fit.

A.

I would not like to contradict that. As long as other agencies that was made perfectly clear were to have equal right to take photographs and to fill in forms.

Q. I think something like that.

A.

The prohibition .. tac exclusion of all other, as you might say, letter-writers that is what the X.C. frowned on.

Chairman: That is the only point?

Mr. Drummond: I rather got the impression that the meeting which

Mr. Forrest referred to between H.E. and the C.S. varied to some extent the decision of the X.C. There were to be no monopolies

but this variation permitted a certain degree of monopolistic

preference.

Mr. Smith: A certain degree of advantage in the way of premises and

advertisements and so on or more than that?

Chairman: What actually happened was that, by the agreement with Mr. Kobza, he is put in such a position that the other agents can only come to the Immigration Office through him, so that to that extent, as the sole channel through which they can reach the immigration Office, he is given a preference. I take it that that detail was never discussed?

Mr. Smith: I think I can say, certainly, t at that was never con-

templated. I might add that this agreement which Mr. Robza signeć was only seen by me at a very late stage. He brought it up one evening I was still in the office between 6.30 and 7 and he came in and showed me this agreement which was signed.

Chairman: After it had been executed?

Mr. Smith: Long after, I think. In fact, it was fairly recently.

I was surprised to see it. It came as a complete surprise to me. I queried who the witness was. 1 took it to be Middlebrook

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