1802
THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 18TMи NOVEMBER, 1899.
2. The Cadets, who must be natural-born British subjects, are selected by open competitive examination* held by the Civil Service Commissioners, to whom all inquiries on the subject should be addressed.
The examination for these appointments will, as a rule, be held in the month of August, in those years in which vacancies have occurred, simultaneously with the examination for the Civil Service of India. Candidates must be between the ages of 21 and 24 on the first day of August in the year in which the examination is held.
3. The selected Candidates will be expected to leave England about a month after the results of the examination are announced.
4. Each Cadet will receive salary at the rate of $1,500 per annum, half salary to commence from the day of leaving England, and full salary from the date of his arrival in the Colony or State to which he may be sent. A free passage to the Golony or State will be provided for the Cadet, subject to an undertaking to refund the cost of his passage in the event of his relinquishing the appointment within three years for any other reason than mental or physical infirmity.
5. While studying the native languages he will be under the control and supervision of the Governor of the Colony or Resident in the State to which he may be sent, who will frame regulations for his hours of study and general government. Quarters, books, and teachers will be provided for him at the public expense, and he will be required to attend at the Public Offices a certain time each day as may be directed by the Governor or Resident, in order to give him an opportunity of learning the details of public business, without interfering with his reading. He may also, if thought advisable, be sent for a certain time to China or to Madras in order to acquire more intimate knowledge of the Chinese or the Tamil language.
6. As soon as he is declared by a Board of Examiners to have acquired a competent knowledge of such languages as he has been directed to study, and has passed such an examination as may be prescribed in Law, Colonial Regulations, and Government Orders, he will be temporarily employed in such of the Departments as may require his services, at a salary of $1,800 per annum, and will be considered eligible for appointment, as vacancies may occur, to offices in the Civil Service, the salaries of which range from $2,400 to $6,000 per annum, with a few special appointments at higher rates. Promotion in the Service will be dependent on his passing such further examination in languages of which he acquired competent knowledge as the Governor may have prescribed, or may hereafter prescribe.
7. The progress of the Cadet will be tested by periodical examinations, and he will be liable to be dismissed without further pay if he does not pass a final examination in one or more of the languages within such time as may be fixed, or if at any time his progress or conduct shall be considered by the Government to be so unsatisfactory as to render such a course desirable. The Government will decide, having regard to the ground of dismissal, whether the Cadet shall be sent home at the public expense, or shall be left to find his own way home.
8. Subject to the necessities of the service, leave of absence on half salary may be granted after a period of six years' resident service without any special grounds. It may be given before the expira- tion of that period in cases of serious indisposition, or of urgent private affairs. In the absence of special grounds, the leave in such case must not exceed one-sixth of the officer's resident service; on special grounds it may exceed that period by six months. In addition to the above, vacation leave on full pay may be granted, if no inconvenience or expense is caused thereby, not exceeding three months in any two years.
9. The present rule as to superannuation is that in the case of ill health an officer may be allowed to retire on a pension after ten full years' resident service; otherwise he must have attained the age of 55. For ten full years' resident service fifteen-sixtieths of the average annual salary of the retiring officer's fixed appointments for the three years prior to retirement may be awarded, to which one- sixtieth may be added for each additional year's service; but no addition will be made in respect of any service beyond 35 years. For pension purposes absence on vacation leave counts as full service, and leave on half pay as half service.
10. A deduction of 4 per cent. is made from the salaries of all Cadets as a contribution to one or other of the Widows and Orphans' Pension Funds of the two Colonies or of the Federated Malay States. 11. The dollar is reckoned at 3s. for the purpose of the payment in England of leave-salary and pension.
12. The Exchange value of the dollar varies from time to time, but an Exchange Compensation allowance is granted to every European member of the Cadet Service to bring one-half of his salary up to the value of 3s. the dollar.
COLONIAL OFFICE,
September 1899.
* A separate paper is issued by the Civil Service Commission, containing information in regard to the Examination,