ADMINISTRATION 
I. STAFF 
The year was an extremely difficult one as regards senior staff and 
subordinate technical grades. The full complement of senior staff, attained 
for the first time for many years in 1955 and maintained in 1956, was 
seriously depleted by retirement under the terms of the Retirement from the 
Public Service (Compensation) Ordinance, 1956, and also by having officers 
sent overseas to acquire higher training. 
2. Mr. J. W. Ewart, Curator, was compulsorily retired after 20 years 
service and left the Colony on 26th March for New Zealand. Mr. J. W. 
Purseglove, Director, opted to retire and left the Colony on 8th March to 
take up the Chair of Botany at the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture, 
Trinidad. He had had 21 years’ colonial service. These vacancies were filled 
by promotion. Mr. A, G. Alphonso, who was serving as Horticultural 
Assistant after successful completion in 1956 of a course of training at the 
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, was promoted Curator with effect from 26th 
March. Mr. H. M. Burkill, Assistant Director, acted as Director with effect 
from 8th March and was later confirmed in the appointment from that date. 
3. Of the vacancies created by these promotions, only that of Horti¬ 
cultural Assistant was filled, by the appointment on 1st July of Mr. Lam 
Hin Cheng who was then sent overseas on 24th September to the Royal 
Botanic Gardens, Kew, to study for the Kew Diploma. The post of Assistant 
Director remained unfilled either substantively or by an acting appointment 
for the rest of the year. Mr. Chew Wee Lek, Botanist, was sent overseas to 
study for a higher degree at Cambridge University under Mr. E. J. H. Corner, 
at one time Assistant Director of Botanic Gardens, Singapore. Mr. Chew 
left on 18th September. Dr. C. X. Furtado, a re-engaged pensioner was away 
on vacation leave and no pay leave from 8th May to 13th November. Mr. 
Addison, Curator, was away from Singapore on overseas leave from 30th 
April to 21st December. Mrs. L. E. Lynas, temporary Librarian, resigned 
on 30th June. The post remained vacant for the rest of the year, but candi¬ 
dates were interviewed near the end of the year and it is expected that a 
selection will be made. Mr. Sinclair, Keeper of the Herbarium, remained on 
duty throughout the year, but was absent from Singapore from 1st June to 
6th July on an important botanical expedition in North Borneo. 
4. As a result of the absences and vacancies noted above, the duties 
of the nine topmost posts in the Department were covered for much of the 
year by but three officers, and in fact there was a period of over one month 
when there was no substantively confirmed officer in any of them on duty 
in Singapore, in addition to this Mr. Burkill acted as Agricultural Officer, 
Singapore, from 26th June to the end of the year. 
5. In the subordinate cadres of the staff, Che Kiah bin Haji Salleh, 
Plant Collector, retired on reaching the age limit on 31st December after 
37J- years’ service. Che Ngadiman bin Haji Ismail, Head Ranger (Nature 
Reserves), was retired from service on medical grounds after 37 years’ service. 
6. A new venture in the recruitment of personnel must be recorded. 
On 24th April Mr. Lee Siew Luan was appointed Telephone Operator to 
