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not well founded, but only that they evidence either faults in the system which can easily be remedied, or a momentary petulance which in the circumstances was almost excusable.

31.

The three exceptions we deal with in two categories. The first consists of the tactless treatment by Mr. Forrest of the Bank of China and of Mr. Ma Tsui Chiu, J.P. We have been permitted to see the telegrams exchanged with the home authorities, our Ambassador in China and the Chinese Government before the legislation was enforced, and the burden of all these is the necessity for sympathetic treatment of Chinese, at least in the early days of this experiment. When a corporation of the standing of the Bank of China states over the signature of its sub-manager that certain persons are employed by it, it is extremely tactless, to say the least of it, to cast doubt on their word, because, foosooth, the names of these employees are not shown in the local directory, nor does it tend to promote amicable and harmonious working to return the Bank's letter unopened and with an unsigned superscription. In Mr. Ma's case it is strange to find that his recommendation of an applicant is rejected without inquiry or examination and without reason given and the later explanation given, that Mr. Forrest did not know that Mr. Ma was one of the honest Justices of the Peace, is hardly in the best of taste. Justices of the Peace are among the limited class of persons permitted to vouch from personal knowledge for applicants for British passports. This must have been known to Mr. Forrest, and makes all the stranger his failure to extend similar privileges in respect of immigration documents.

President Monroe Incident.

32. The most serious allegation, however, is that made by Major C. M. Manners and Mr. W. J. Keswick regarding Mr. Forrest's behaviour on board the s.s. President Monroe. It is unfortunate that Mr. Keswick could not appear and be questioned by Mr. Forrest. We have, however, no hesitation in accepting the evidence given that Mr. Forrest, when officially visiting a ship flying the American flag, showed bad temper and irritability, and on deck used language and gestures for which there can be no excuse. We are inclined to the opinion that Mr. Forrest at that time was so overworked and was so suffering from insomnia as to have lost that measure of self control which is so essential in dealing with the public, and perhaps particularly so when dealing on a foreign ship with those of other races and nationalities. Mr. Forrest's conduct on this occasion may be palliated by the considerations we have just mentioned, but it cannot be excused. It was a most regrettable happening.

General Administration.

33. Under the heading of the general administration of the Department we took the opportunity, during Mr. Forrest's illness, to visit the main office at Marina House, the passport and deposit refund office and the depot at West Point. Even at that time, when the flood of applicants was obviously ebbing, there was a steady stream of visitors and we were able to examine and test the system from the first application for a permit form to the issue of the completed permit. The system, in spite of the extremely unfavourably surroundings in which it had to be carried out, struck us as essentially a good one, adequately safeguarding Government property and public moneys and issuing permits to the public without avoidable delay. In the early days no doubt the system did not work so smoothly as later when the staff had more experience and the pressure of work was less, but the system as in operation when we visited the office appeared to be adequate, and we see no reason why the department should not have operated normally if only a proper accounting system had been instituted; and perhaps, someone a little less temperamental than Mr. Forrest had been in charge.

Comments and Recommendations.

34. In the Proclamation appointing us we are invited to make such relevant recom- mendations as commend themselves to us. We avail ourselves of this opportunity to say four things:

35.

Abolition of deposit system.

We recommend that the deposit system be abandoned or drastically restricted as soon as conveniently may be.

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