CO129-590-11 Commission of Enquiry into irregularities in Immigration Departments 22-4-1941 - 19-12-1941 — Page 89

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Printers were themselves victims of circumstances not of their

making. This delay necessitated on the one hand acceptance of foras of permit and certificate of a type far from ideal (as Acct.General has already pointed out, though without the explanation I have now siven, which may have beer. unknown to him); and on the other the use for a few days of a typescript form of permit to be exchanged later for the permanent form. Other simultaneous difficulties concerned delay in carrying out the alterations in the Dept., and doubt regarding the extent to which the public would immediately resort to the office to obtain permits and certificates. I may mention that prior to the opening date I had already caused notifications to appear in the vernacular press to inform intending travellers of the necessity of providing themselves with travel documents, and of the method of making application for them.

hatever doubts those in the department entertained as to the response of the public were soon set at rest; applicants came in such numbers as to make the interior of the office a perfect babel and almost to defy any attempt to maintain order or to organise our methods; while the impatient mob outside the doors was of such demeanour that it was necessary to provide for a permanent police guard and on more than one occasion to obtain the services of the Emergency Unit of the Folice in ddition.

To meet the unexpected demand for documents, which every one of the applicants appeared to imagine should be given as a matter of form and in a few daya' time at most, it was necessary

again and again to increase the staff of those whose business it was to consider applications, to assist applicants in completing the forms, to reply to letters of inquiry in English and Chinese, to write the documents, to sign them, apply the embossing seal, and finally to deliver them to the applicants against payment of the

fee.

Constant increase in staff meant on the one hand constantly

increasing demanda for furniture, and every conceivable means was

utilised to supply the needs of the office; furniture from the Stores Department, the regular source of supply had to be specially