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HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT
and the people. The New Territories is covered by a network of rural committees, twenty seven sub-districts being recognized for this purpose as rural committee areas. Twenty five have formally established rural committees and one is in the process of forming a rural committee.
THE PUBLIC SERVICE
Appointments and promotions to most posts in the Public Service are made on the advice of the Public Services Commission, a statutory non-Government body established in 1950 with the object of improving the standard of efficiency of officers and of putting into effect the Government's policy of giving preference in appointment, wherever possible, to well-qualified local candidates whose roots are in the Colony.
Monthly paid offices in the Public Service are divided into five classes. Classes I and II include those offices normally held by administrative or professional officers, or offices of similar status. Class III offices are held by more junior officers (including the Clerical Service) with an initial basic salary of more than $260 p.m. Class IV is for disciplined staff below the rank of Police Sub-Inspector (or equivalent rank in other departments). Class V includes non-pensionable officers with initial basic salaries of $260 p.m. or less. There is also a number of daily paid officers, who may qualify after varying periods of service for transfer to monthly pay.
The Public Service has more than doubled during the last ten years, the establishment on 1st April 1958 being 40,429 compared with 15,831 on 1st April 1948. The estimated expenditure on salaries for the financial year 1958-9 was $222.7 million, which represents 34.4% of the total estimated expenditure for the year (excluding expenditure from the Development Fund) of $648.1 million.
One of the most noteworthy developments in the Public Service since the war has been the large increase in the number of local officers in the more senior posts (Classes I and II), mainly as a result of greater local recruitment to senior administrative and professional appointments in the Education, Medical and Public Works Departments. In 1950 there were 54 local officers and 448