Memorandum by the Department of External Affairs

Since 1951, the Headquarters staff of the Department of External Affairs has been reduced by twenty-two posts. This economy was effected on the initiative of the Department itself, and, to some extent, with the assistance of inspections from the Department of Finance. The reductions consisted of a decrease in the number of Assistant Secretary posts from 4 to 2; Counsellor posts from 7 to 5; First Secretary posts from 7 to 6; Higher Executive Officer posts from 3 to 2; Clerical Officer posts from 23 to 17; and Typing posts from 29 to 17.

In view of our entry to the United Nations, which will involve a considerable amount of extra work for the Department, there is no hope that any further reduction of staff can be achieved, and, in fact, there will certainly have to be some increase. The decrease already effected in response to the requests for economy have resulted in some of the Sections being unable to exercise their functions to full utility and this weakness has now shown itself since these Sections have taken on some of the additional work related to our membership of UN. (This Department, being a small one, is not hampered in its administration by any legislative measures.)

It¹ is, and has been, the experience of this Department that much loss of time, efficiency and prestige could be avoided if the apparent claim of the Department of Finance to omniscience were abandoned. It has caused endless trouble and considerable hardship, particularly in relation to the local rates of salaries and rents payable at our missions abroad. The Department of Finance cannot be expected to have special knowledge of these matters. Nevertheless, they persistently refuse to accept the considered recommendations of the head of mission on the spot.