مجموعة ٢٠/٨ "مسقط: تعيين مستشار مالي: السيد س. إ. هيدجكوك" [ظ‎‎٢‎٢‎٥] (٦٩٦/٤٥١)

advice of the Political Agent), and it should thereafter
he precluded from incurring expenditure not provided for
in the budget, except with the advice and concurrence of
the Financial Adviser. A further restriction which has
been accepted is that it should not have power to reduce
expenditure on the Levy Corps from the figure at whicn,
consequent on discussion between the Resident and wie
local authorities, it has now been fixed (Rs.1,54,000)
without prior consultation with the Political Agent
(a separate submission has been made on this subject).
The case for action on the lines recommended by
the Resident is probably a strong one. The retiring
r
Financial Adviser im a strong personality, with a
fluent knowledge of Arabic, who would probably in any case
have needed careful handling by the Political Agent.
His position was probably considerably strengtuened by t:.e
fact that the late Political Agent, "ajor kurphy, is
understood not to have spoken Arabic, and certainly did not
enjoy a knowledge of Arabian conditions at all comparable
to that of Mr. Thomas. It is unsatisfactory from our point
of view that a temporary European servant of the State should,
through his membership of the CoimcU^be in a^osiuion^tc
organisation of the nature now contemplated needs no
justification from this standpoint. .From a different ^ ^
standpoint, it will have te definite advantage of enablinf^e ^ ^
Financial Adviser to concentrate on the financial affairs of
the State instead of dealing with its general administration.
From paragraph 9 of Colonel Biscoe’s despatch it will
be seen that he gives a very satisfactory report of the
development of the Heir Apparent. This is all to the ood,
more especially in view of the renewal by SJlt “ IT, /? m
request to be allowed to abdicate, tlhurmx ^
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