585
We therefore earnestly pray that the Government may give early consideration to this petition; and afford the relief to which we trust it will be recognised we are entitled.
We have, etc.,
W. HUNTER.
J. C. THOMSON.
C. M. HEANLEY.
W. V. M. KOCH.
JEU HAWK.
W. B. A. MOORE.
J. W. HARTLEY. FRANK BROWNE.
H. MACFARLANE.
A. C. FRANKLIN.
R. CHAPMAN.
S. E. BARKER.
A. M. T. MILINGTON.
E. MAKER.
A. G. GORHAM.
R. P. STOLLARD.
M. GOURLEY.
M. LEE.
M. E. MOIR.
Z. YOUNG.
L. W. JACOBS.
A. ALLAWAY.
C. BARROW.
A. RICHARDS.
W. E. COOKE.
T. S. EGERTON.
C. H. SHARMAN.
J. O'REGAN.
J. ARMSTRONG.
A. RICHARDS.
C. H. BARROW.
The Honourable,
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY.
Enclosure 4 a.
SANITARY DEPARTMENT, HongKong, November 24th, 1906.
SIR,--We the undersigned officers of the Sanitary 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 Secretary 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 pur- chasing 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 emphasise strongly the conditions which are proved to exist in the petition referred to.
We do not even consider it necessary to bring forward any figures to prove what every- one in the Colony either in or outside the Government Service is aware of, is, 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 impossible for the lower paid officials to do even this.
Professional married men have to live in one room in a hotel and practise the most rigid economy.
Senior married overseers have to live as best they can, neither putting money by for passage home or for possible sickness.
Commercial firms and corporations, whose assistants are not even professional men, are paid generously and have moreover in many instances received compensation.