COLONIAL OFFICE.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19918, 3 May 1930, Page 15

COLONIAL OFFICE.

ANOMALIES IN CONTROL.

SINGLE SERVICE DESIRED

(BJUTISH OFFICIAL tytR£LES3.)

RUGBY. May 1

'the *crcatii:n of a single Colonial Service is -recommended in the report oi a committee -which has been consiJerinc; appointments in, the Colonial Office anil Colonial Service.

'-The committee was appointed last year, by the .Hon. L. S. Amery ".Colonial Secretary in thc Conservative Government), with Sir Warren Fisher as chairman. For some time !">ast it has been considered that certain changes were necessary owing to the growth of.British dependencies towards tlio nc-w status of Dominions as f'stablishc<l at the last Imperial Conference. It was fouiul that, under, the growing system of independence, there were now many anomalies. The Colonial Office itself, for example, has becomo a dual Department—that is, .Colonial Office proper and Dominions' Office.

Tlie report deals with territories handled by the Colonial Office. Theso comprise fifty different territories •'overing more than 2,000,000 square miles, with a total population of 730,IK.IO,1)00 people of varied nationalities and religious. The expenditure, on colonial government alone has risen from £IarOOO.OOO in 190!) to £68,000.000 in 1029. The Governmental staff has increased from 93.208 to 220.770. ■ In recommending th'i creation of a single Colonial Service, the committee urges that special services, such as agriculture, medicine, and education, should be organised within this singlo service. With regard to appointments jiow made through tho machinery of the Private Secretary to sho Secretary of State, it is recommended that .1 final Selection of candidates should be made bv a Colonial Services Appointments Board, which should be set up, consisting of ,a chairman - and two members: nominated by the Civil Service: Commission. With reference to selections of Governors. tlie committee .recommends that prior consideration should bo given to tlio suitability, (if, officers holding high office in the Colonial Services. The committee produces figures which seive to show there is ; no real grcund for the suggestion that the older universities have anything like a ( monopoly of' colonial appointments.