FO371-27622 — Page 230

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that choice.

11.

I incline to disagree with the Commission's views

on this point. The adverse comments in Mr. Forrest's

confidential reports are confined to:

(1)

(2)

criticism of one aspect of his work as magistrate

in the last two reports made on hin - the real

point being excessive leniency towards prostitutes

charged with solicitation.

An insufficient power of leadership (1936 report)

and

(3) lack of tact in dealing with the public (1939 report):

his ability and industry have never been in question and

paragraph 33 of the report bears witness to his

organizing ability. In appointing as Immigration Officer

a man whese state of health was known not to be very robust

the administration possibly acted somewhat incautiously,

though I do not think that I would have rejected his

nomination had I been here though I might have questioned it;

he had shown no signs of ill-health during the current tour,

nor was there reason to think that the new department would

have to bear the abnormally heavy strain that actually

came upon it, mainly owing to newspaper blunders which led

to a quite unexpected flood of applications by the deluded

public.

12.

Paragraph 40 of the report criticizes the

Treasury, the Secretariat and other unnamed departments

for being unhelpful and destructively critical where

kindness and constructive advice could have improved the

conditions in which the Immigration Department was

struggling to carry on. Er. Forrest's evidence on this

point is summarized on pages 27-30 of the second day's

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