File 1711/1920 'Mesopotamia: General Circulars. - 1920' [‎291r] (585/591)

al Circular No. 18^ ^ated 7th January, 1^20.
An Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for the_Civil Administration of Mesopotamia will be opened at Bombay from
February 1st, 1920, underan officer who willbecalledhe Agent at Bombay of the Civil Adminis-
tration of Mesopotamia. - . ' - .l
TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS. ' v . .
? Mesagent. a
1 Duties,Y ; -
The Agent will,
. . 7d. ■ ■ , '
(a) recruit subordinate Indian personnel for the - Administration upon requisitions received
, from the Civil Commissioner and in consultation with local Governments if necessary.
(b) arrange passages for personnel from Bombay to ‘Iraq and to the United Kingdom
' • ■ through Embarkation for the present; .
J (c) help personnel in finding, suitable accommodation at special rates when detained in
, Bombay for passage to Basrah or London ;
(d) purchase stores locally for the Director of Civil Stores at rates and according to samples
furnished by him and in consultation where necessary with Military and Civil Purchas-
• ing representatives in Bombay ;
(e) arrange for such shipping freight as the Director of Civil Stores asks him for. .
2. All ranks of the Civil Administration.arriving in Bombay, from both ‘Iraq and the United
Kingdom will report to the Agent who will duly arrange for their onward passage.
Officers.and men should not apply ’for passage otherwise- than through the Agent and must
avail themselves of the, passages thus allotted them,
OFFICE ROUTINE.
, - 3. Besides the usual inward and outward registers for. correspondence, the Agent will
maintain the following registers ■— the forms attached :—-
(1) Register of arrivals from‘Iraq.
(2) Register of . arrivals for ‘Iraq. . " . . '
; (3), Register of personnel recruited.
4. The names of officers despatched to Basrah will be telegraphed by the Agent to the O.C.,
Political Base, Basrah. - - . -
FINANCE. -
5. The Agent will meet his expenses from funds at the Eastern Bank placed to his credit
through the Accountant General. Bombay, by the Deputy Accountant General (Civil), Baghdad. He
should therefore on the 15th of each month telegraph to Deputy Accountant General (Civil) his
requirements for the next month as'well as estimated requirements for-the monthfollowing.
. Funds which he might require urgently inexcessof the month’s assignment will be placed to
his, credit On application.
ACCOUNTS.
6. The Affint will maintain a simple cash account of receipts and expenditure and willsubmit
every month a copy of the account complete with vouchers for all payments above Rs. 25inamount
to the Deputy Accountant General (Civil), Baghdad, not later than a week in arrear. : Expenditure
on account of stores will be charged off in lump by debit to a suspense account Civil Stores and a
detailed account thereof willbe simultaneously forwarded to the Director of Civil Stores/
TELEGRAPHIC COpE.
7. The utmost economy in cables should be observed and to- this end Telegraphic Codes
should be used—Bentleys New Edition and Indian word Code, 1910 Edition. In consultation with
Director, Civil Stores, or O.C., Political Base Depot—phrases—commonly used should be coded and
added-to. list, e.g.1WUvNE, please repeat by wire, to 2 WUVSY, please repeat by letter to and/so on.
Bentley’s Code is well suited for this purpose. <
ACCOMMODATION.
8. He should rent (on long lease if necessary) suitable accommodation for his office centrally
suited in relation to Railway termini, banks, shipping and mercantile offices and should if practicable
arrange to live on the premises. - -'