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advice it was eventually agreed to bring Mr. A.J.G. Taylor
back from Taipo to endeavour to restore order in the chaos.
In view of the revelations in these reports I reported
to Government in the terms of 31 in C.S.O. file No. 2867/41.
(Mr. Pudney read the Report which was also laid
before the Commission as a Confidential Paper).
The comments of the Hon. the Financial Secretary to the Hon.
The Colonial Secretary, together with the latter's remarks
are on page 9 of that C.S.O. file.
(Laid before the Commission as a Confidential Paper).
Shortly after this occurred an event which I think
should be brought to the notice of the Commission. On 4.00
p.m. on the afternoon of Sunday, January 26th, that is to say
on the afternoon of the eve of Chinese New Year the Immigration
Officer rang me up to say that his supplies of deposit receipt
books had run out. Could I let him have some more at once?
And this, although he was well aware that Treasury does not keep
a reserve stock of special departmental receipt forms. All the
printing works were shut and would remain shut for several days.
What could he do? I had no alternative but to agree to his
preparing a limited quantity on a duplicating machine,
allocating a special series letter to this issue, personally
initialling each one and notifying me and the Auditor of the
quantity thus prepared. Although I have asked for it I have not
yet been informed as to how many were prepared, whilst those
which I have seen bear, not the initials of the Immigration
Officer but a "chop" which, I am informed is his Chinese name.
On February 3rd I personally inspected the Immigration
The state of affairs which I found is best described
in my minute to the Hon. the Financial Secretary on pp.11 and 12
of S.0. file No.2867/41. The opinion of the Hon. the Financial
Secretary is on p. 13 of that file.
office.
(Mr. Pudney put this minute which was also laid
before the Commission as a Confidential Paper).
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