CO129-590-11 Commission of Enquiry into irregularities in Immigration Departments 22-4-1941 - 19-12-1941 — Page 297

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

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hat constructive suggestion did you manke to the Financial ecretary regarding the accounting in my deportment?

It was no use to make constructive muggestions regarding accounte

until the organisation was firmly established and laid down.

hich implies that up to that time there could not have been a proper

ayatma of accounting?

A. There could have been had there been proper organisation. Inay case

I waist point out the ordinary system of accounting is very simple; all that veo required waa e simple ayuton of book-keeping.

I think you havo ndaitted that up to that time it would have been

difficult to have a system of accounting or book-keeping until the

general organization of the departaant by that I suppose you mean ita method of working had settled dova

It would not have been difficult to have a system, the difficulty

would have been to operate it while the organization of the depart-

ment was changing daily, and sometimes more than once a day.

Chairman : I have here a copy of an advertisement which I bolteve appear. ed in the local prear on 1st October calling for Assistant Immigration

officers?

Fr. Forest: Yes.

Can you tell me by whose authority that was inserted?

It was before I cane on the scene; but I believe, this is secondhand,

I believe it was put in after discussion between Mr. Middlebrook,

the F.... and lr. Loe.

When you began your duties ae I.0. designate this advertisement was

still in forcet

So far as I know at that time all a plications had already been

received, and the first time I met Ar. idlebrook was when the three

of us assembled to look over the condidates who had applied.

In conformity with the requirements of this advertisement?

YOB.

I asked you that particularly because among the papers which you havo

sulmitted to us is a list of 8 members of your staff whom you have

had to get rid of at various times, and I see that one of them is

ted here as having been dismissed on the Colonial Secret -ry's

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