CO129-590-11 Commission of Enquiry into irregularities in Immigration Departments 22-4-1941 - 19-12-1941 — Page 96

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have a few dress rehearsals on the arrival of the Macau steamers, No one, therefore, will be surprised hen I add that anything in the nature of constructive work had to be confined to the evenings from 6 p.m. onwards; nor when they learn that despite this incessant work I was much against my will, compelled to report to Government that I could not have my organization ready in time for enforcement on 17th December, as was arranged, &lthough I knew that H.E. the Governor was most anxious that the plan should be in

operation at the earliest possible moment.

The enforcement of the Ordinance on 15th January a dded

*wo new problema quicker than the old ones could be removed. difficulties were outstanding song so many, viz., that of water The matter of water transport, and that of the deposit system.

transport was settled (as I then thought) in a series of minutes between the Folice Department and myself, followed by a conference between the District Superintendent, Kowloon, a representative of

The minutes, the Harbour Department, and myself on 1st February, with their sequels when I approached the Government with my requirements, are to be found dated 24th January and 14th February

in C.5.0.2863/41.

I should make it plain at ance that the attitude of the financial side of the Government as exemplified in those minutes is just as encouraging as I have found it throughout my attempt to reconcile the interests of the various classes of persons affected by the new control of immigration. To make this point plainer,

I have I quote from another minute of mine in the file quoted: never forgotten that they (the shipping companies) should be as little delayed or inconvenienced as possible.

I intended to place beside it the opinion of the shipping representatives of the General Chamber of Commerce as expressed to me at a conference which I had with them on 3rd March, 1911. The report has not yet reached me.

It is abundantly clear that the means given me to cope

with the task were utterly inadequate, and that the position of

the finances of the department, having regard to Government's