CO129-619-4 Department of Supplies- Trade and Industry- organization and finance 19-3-1949 - 31-3-1949 — Page 42

Pago 5.

48

This

It was

and the covering approval of the Secretary of State for all variations in departmental establishments. It was also considered that the 1948-49 Estimates of Personal Emoluments for the department should be drawn up and approved in conformity with Colonial Regulation 207 et seq. procedure has been followed and the details of the Temporary Staff are shown as footnote (2) to Head 35 in the Estimates for 1948-49. also brought to the notice of Government by my predecessor that the general authority conveyed by the Governor to the Director must, in any evant, be held to be limited to Class III appointments unless the prior approval of the Secretary of State is obtained, since the Governor is not himself authorised to make appointments above this Class without this

It was accordingly suggested that carly consideration should be given to the desirability of submitting the question of the delegation of the Governor's authority for review.

proval.

10.

During the course of the examination of the Personal Emoluments of the department it came under notice that the Rice Controller, Mr. R.C. Loc, was employed without remuneration. The terms of Mr. Lee's appointment are not known by this Department. It was also observed that certain temporary appointments were on a part time basis and I therefore suggested to Government in my comments to the Colonial Secretary, referred to in paragraph 3 above, that the covering authority of the Secretary of Stato should be obtained for those arrangements and also for the appointment of Mr. J.A. Galvin as Government's Honorary Agent in Japan below. It is understood that Mr. Lee has recently resigned his appointment

sce paragraph 40 as Rice Controller.

11.

-

The manner in which the condonation of stores and write off of losses were being dealt with came under notice in connection with the dumping of a considerable quantity of canned goods which had deteriorated, of which details are given in paragraphs 25-28 below under B. "Marketing and Rice Sections. In response to a request by my predecessor to be referred to the authority for the write off of the loss involvod, the Acting Director replied that he considered that this was implicit in his authority to conduct the department on commercial lines. to the notice of the Financial Secretary, ay predecessor pointed out that When bringing the matter the write off of losses and the condemnation of stores should be dealt with in accordance with Colonial Regulations. He also observed that, as far as the candemation of stores is concerned, the Governor is authorised under Colonial Regulation 346 to dispense with a Board of Survey in the case of minor articles of a perishable nature, so that the Director might possibly be authorised to deal with small cases of deterioration which are normal to trading in the goods handled by the department. When camenting on certain proposals made by the Director in his draft despatch to the Secretary of State (referred to in paragraph 8 above) I informed the Colonial Secretary that any delegation of authority to write off losses would require the authority of the Secretary of State. In his savingram No. 502 of the 28th May, 1948, the Secretary of State has now stated that Colonial Regulation No.346 must be held to apply even where stores have been acquired in connection with a goverment operated camercial undertaking of an emergency nature.

12.

During the examination of the expenditure vouchers of the depart- ent, it was observed that Government's regulations in connection with the supply of services were not being adhered to. In no cases that came under review were tenders called for through the Tender Board, and arrangements appeared to have been made direct with selected fims by the Director or members of the staff of the department. In some cases, arrangements were made by exchange of letters; in others it appeared that agreements had been entered into verbally, as no written evidence could be produced for inspection by this Department, but in none of the cases that came under examination was a formal contract ontured into as required by General Orders.