THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 5TH OCTOBER, 1889.
HONG KONG CADETSHIPS.
811
WITH the view of supplying the Civil Service in Hong Kong, Cadetships have been established, the holders of which are required to devote themselves for a certain time after their arrival in the Colony to learning the Chinese Language.
1. 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 examinations for these appointments will, as a rule, be held in the month of August.
2. The selected candidates will be expected to leave for the Colony during the month of October following the examination.
3. Each Cadet will receive salary at the rate of $1,200 a year, half salary to commence from the day of leaving England, and full salary from the date of his arrival in the Colony. The cost of his passage to the Colony will be paid, subject to the liability of repayment hereafter mentioned (Secs. 7, 8).
4. While studying Chinese, he will be under the control and supervision of the Governor of the Colony, who will frame regulations for his hours of study and general duties. Quarters, books, and teachers will be provided for him at the public expense, and he will be required to attend at the Public Offices for a certain time each day, as may be directed by the Governor 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 in order to acquire more intimate know. ledge of the language.
5. As soon as he is declared by a Board of Examiners to have acquired a competent knowledge of Chinese, he will be temporarily employed in such Department as may require his services, at a salary of $1,800 per annum, without other allowances, and will be considered eligible for promotion in the Civil Service of Hong Kong on the occurrence of any vacancy which he may be deemed suitable to fill. The salaries of appointments in the Civil Service range from about $2,400 to about $5,040.
6. The progress of the Cadet will be tested by half-yearly examinations, and he will be liable to be dismissed without further pay, if he does not pass his final examination within such time as may be fixed, or if at any time his progress or conduct shall be considered by the Governor and Executive Council to be so unsatisfactory as to render such a course desirable. The Governor and Council 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, or shall be, in addition, called upon to repay the cost of his passage out.
7. A bond must be entered into by the Cadet and two approved Sureties with the Crown Agents for the Colonies to secure the repayment of the cost of the passage out, in the event of his dismissal and of its being decided by the Governor and Executive Council that such repayment shall be enforced; and also in the event of the Cadet within four years from the date of his arrival in Hong Kong either quitting the Colony without leave or relinquishing his appointment (except on account of ill health), together with a further sum of £50 for each year to repay the Colony the cost of his teaching, up to his leaving.
8. Subject to the necessities of the service, leave of absence on half salary may be granted to members of the permanent Government service after a period of six years' resident service in the Colony, without any special grounds. It may be given before the expiration 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 four 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 10 full years' resident service, otherwise he must have attained the age of 55. For 10 full year 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.
10. The dollar is at present reckoned by the Hong Kong Government at 4s. 24. for the purpose of the payment in England of half-salary or pension.
Colonial Office,
31st October 1888.
*A separate paper is issued by the Civil Service Commission containing information in regard to the Examination.