874
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
No. S. 438. The following Bills were read a first time at a meeting of the Council held on the 15th December, 1937:
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[No. 32:-23.11.37.—1.]
A BILL
Short title.
Interpreta- tion.
Ordinance
No. 15 of 1908.
Rate at which sterling
salaries are to be paid
in this
Colony.
Power of legislature
to grant
INTITULED
An Ordinance to fix the rate at which the sterling salaries
of public officers shall be paid in this Colony.
1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Sterling Salaries Conversion Ordinance, 1937.
2. In this Ordinance—
"Treasury rate" means the rate of exchange of sterling for dollars determined for any month by the Colonial Treasurer from the average of the daily opening demand rates of exchange in London during a certain period in accordance with the General Orders of the Hong Kong Government.
"Widows and Orphans' Pension Contribution" means the contribution payable in any month by and deducted from the salary of any officer under the Widows' and Orphans' Pension Ordinance, 1908.
3. After deduction of the Widows' and Orphans' Pension Contribution, if any, which shall be calculated at the Treasury rate, and subject to the provisions of section 4, the re- mainder of the salaries of all public officers of the Hong Kong Government service which are expressed in terms of sterling, whatever the amount, shall be converted, if paid in the Colony, at the Treasury rate if such rate exceeds one shilling and threepence to the dollar; but if such rate does not exceed one shilling and threepence to the dollar then at the rate of one shilling and threepence to the dollar or sixteen dollars to the pound sterling: Provided that the salaries of officers absent from the Colony on leave for a period exceeding three months or absent from the Colony on duty for any period shall, if paid in the Colony, be paid at the Treasury Rate.
4. It shall be lawful for the Legislative Council by resolution to exempt either wholly or partially from the exemptions operation of this Ordinance, or any part thereof, any officer or any class or description of officer. Any such resolution, if so expressed, may be retrospective in operation.
by resolu- tion.
Saving of rights of
Crown. Cf.
Colonial Regulations 20 & 21 and
Hong Kong
General
Orders 1 and 2.
5. Nothing in this Ordinance shall be deemed to recognize any rights whatsoever against the Crown or be deemed to imply that the holding of any appointment or the payment of salary constitutes a contract between the Crown and any of its servants or that any public office is held otherwise than during His Majesty's pleasure.
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