584
Table D.
Average rates of Exchange, demand on London :-
1874,......
.4/1
1890,..
.3/5
1875,......
.4/–
1891,.....
.3/1
1876,
.1/2
1892,
2/9
1877,
3/11
1893..
2/3
1878......
.3/10
1894,
1879,......
.3/10
1895,......
2/1
1880,..
.3/8
1896,...
2/1
1881.....
3/9
1897......
1/11
1882
3/7
1898,..
1/11
1883.
.3/9
1899.
1884.
3/7
1900,....
.21-
1885,..
.3/4
1901,..
1/11
1886,..
.3/4
1902,....
1/8
1887
..3/1
1903,
.1/8
1888
.3/1
1904..
.1/10
1889....
.312
1905...
.1/11
Enclosure 4.
CIVIL MEDICAL DEPARTMENT, HONGKONG, 24th November, 1906.
SIR-We the undersigned officers of the Civil Medical Department of Hongkong respectfully forward for the consideration of His Excellency the Governor this petition, and trust that His Excellency will give it his earnest recommendation, and cable it to the Secre- tary of State for the Colonies.
+
We are aware that a petition from the Heads and Sub-heads of all Departments, stating our grievances, has already been submitted; since that one was prepared, however, the purchasing power of our salaries has again diminished, and we would urge that it is now vital that some immediate steps should be taken to relieve a situation which has become almost unbearable.
We do not wish to suggest what form the relief should take; we only desire to emphasize strongly the conditions which are proved to exist in the petition referred to.
We do not consider it necessary, in view of the above-mentioned petition, to bring for ward any figures to prove what everyone in the Colony eier in or outside the Government Service is aware of, viz., that whilst the bulk of the professional men in the Service have to resort to unseemly economies to make their expenditure meet their income, it has become practically impossible for the lower paid officials to do even this.
Some of us, professional married men, have to live in a single room in a hotel, and practise the most rigid economy; other members of the staff have to live as best as they can, and are unable to save anything towards home passages or for possible sickness.
Members of commercial firms and corporations, whose assistants are not proressional men, are paid generously; and have, moreover, in many instances received compensation.