Coll 1/67 'Aden. Changes in administration in the event of separation from India: miscellaneous questions' [‎8v] (16/769)

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* 1 r i.u r^.^rnmpnt of India’s present mail contract. I do not
balance of the period of the matter since the 1933 meeting, but I hope
know what has been don ® w ' s p rop osed. Details should also be obtained regard-
that an arrangement ean be P conveyance of mails to other
^ — o£ maik
dropped at Aden for transhipment.
Point 5 Currency --It was agreed at the 1933 meeting that Aden should continue
Point o. Currency. f a a re ement of the Government of India,
to use Indian currency and hat, subjecUo the^greeme ^ India ( do not
knZ g Xtter an^ further action has been taken on this subject, but I recommend
that the Government of India's consent be obtained to the arrangement propose .
Point ti. Treasury and Finance.— 1 understand that it is th ?
r i n niPQ for the budget to be brought forward annually by a Chief, or Colonial,
Secretary This apStment does notCist in Aden at present, and will not exist unless
the Administration ^reorganized on a Colonial model. I have therefore proposed he
appointment of a Treasurer, and I understand that this suggestion was accepted at the
1933 meeting 0 At that meeting, Mr. Cowell said that he would enquire of the Personnel
Division of die Colonial Office as to the probable rate of pay it would be necessary to
offer If the transfer of Aden is to take place in the early part of next year, I consider
that the selection of a Treasurer should be made as soon as possible, to enable him to
take up his duties immediately on Aden becoming a Colony. I further suggest that th
officer selected be sent to Aden on special duty some months pnoi to the transfer to
study the financial position of the new Colony and to assist in the preparation of its first
budget. With regard to the latter, I shall make some further remarks later in this note.
I have suggested that the Treasurer should be in charge of the Income lax and Salt
and Excise Departments as well as of the Treasury. This would place him in control
of all the Government Revenue and Expenditure Departments of the Colony and might
involve some rearrangement in the existing superior posts of these Departments. 1 he
duties of Treasury Officer and of Collector of Salt and Excise are at present pei formed
by the Extra Assistant Commissioner, an officer on Rs. 500-50-750 a month, who also
performs magisterial and administrative duties. Both he and the Income lax Officer
are now nearing their time of retirement. I suggest that the Extra Assistant Com
missioner’s appointment be revised and re-named, and that it be filled by a junior
Colonial Office official, whose duties will be mainly magisterial and who would, as far as
possible, be relieved of some of the other work now performed by the Extra Assistant
Commissioner. A whole-time Income Tax Officer, however, will still be necessary
though he would work under the control of the Treasurer. These are points on which
I shall be glad to have the advice of the new Treasurer, which is an additional reason
for my request that he should be sent to Aden in advance of the transfer to look into
the present system of working these Departments and to advise on any changes that
might suitably be made in them.
Point 7. Audit .—It has been proposed to place the Aden accounts under the
Director of Colonial Audit, who would send an auditor once or twice a year, a contribu
tion to his salary being made from Aden. It has been assumed that it will be unnecessary
to appoint a special local auditor but that a local audit clerk would probably be
necessary. The Examiner of Outside Audit of the Bombay Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. , who paid a
recent visit to Aden, advised that a local audit staff of one superintendent and two clerks
should be maintained for internal audit. This would be an additional expense, but
contributions to the cost could be expected from the Port Trust and Aden Settlement
Fund. I suggest that the strength of the local subordinate audit establishment be decided
after consultation with the new Treasurer.
Point 8. New Laws and Enactments.—It has been agreed that all existing Indian
Laws and Enactments, including the Indian Civil and Criminal Procedure, Codes, and
procedure should remain in force. This will presumably be effected by means of an
Order in Council A regulation issued by the sovereign of the United Kingdom on the advice of the Privy Council. as in the case of British Somaliland when it was separated from Indian
control. With regard to new Laws, it has been proposed that the Governor should be
given power, with the consent of the Crown, to enact them, the concurrent power of the
Crown to legislate by Order in Council A regulation issued by the sovereign of the United Kingdom on the advice of the Privy Council. being retained.