54
II.
Recommendations of Retrenchment Committee that have not been carried out.
RECOMMENDATION.
REASON FOR NOT CARRYING OUT RECOMMENDATION,
REGISTRAR GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT.
Division of Emigration work between Assistant
Land Officer and Assistant Registrar General.
Abolition of post of 5th Grade Clerk,
Proposal considered impracticable. A Second Assistant Registrar General is to be appointed for the work.
Left in abeyance. It was thought impossible to decide without Replacing 1st Grade Clerk by 3rd Grade Clerk. actual experience, what would be the effect on the work of the depart- ment, of the changes resulting from the transfer of some of the duties of the Registrar General's Department, and of a portion of the clerical staff, to other departments.
Reduction of Vote "Library" from $250 to $50.
Abolition of 1 Office Attendant.
To charge the 2 District Watchmen used for Emigration work to District Watchmen Fund.
Not approved. If the vote were reduced a Chinesé Library which is considered desirable could not be formed.
The Registrar General states that this attendant is required.
The work done by these District Watchmen ought really to be done by Police Constables in the pay of the Government. District Watchmen are used in proference to Chinese Constables as being completely under the control of the Registrar General.
TREASURY.
Reduction of vote "Stamps, &c.", Stamp Office, by $100.
Owing to increase in stamp duty more stamps will be required.
HARBOUR MASTER'S DEPARTMENT.
Higher Grade Clerk, Harbour Office, to be replaced by 2nd Grade Clerk.
Abolition of one 4th Grade Clerk, Imports and Exports Office.
Reduction of Conveyance Allowance to Superin- tendent, Imports and Exports Office, from $180 to $60.
Not approved, in view of Harbour Master's statement that it is- impossible to dispense with the Higher Grade Clerk.
Harbour Master states that the post is indispensable.
Not approved in view of extra inspection of godowns.
LAW OFFICERS.
Not approved for strong reasons of ponty,-C, Ó. Despatch No.
That the salary of the Attorney General be reduced from £1,500 to £1,000 per annum, and that | 156 of 13th August, 1909. the officer be allowed the privilege of private practice.
MEDICAL DEPARTMENT.
Reduction of Medical Staff by one Medical
Officer.
cases.
Charge of fees for operation and for midwifery
If the reduction were made it would not be possible to give effect to the Colonial Leave Regulations without calling in private prac- titiouers, for whose services no regular vote is provided. It is being strongly urged by the Principal Civil Medical Officer and Acting Principal Civil Medical Officer that an increase of staff is required for the proper supervision of the New Territories and Railway.
The medical officers unanimously oppose this proposal on the grounds that the Hospital charges are already high enough, and no- such charges are made in other Colonies.
SANITARY DEPARTMENT.
That Victoria be divided into 12 Health Dis- tricts and Kowloon into 3, and that one Inspector be in charge of each.
The creation of new districts would involve such inextricable confusion in land records and in statisties that it was deemed inadvis- able to make any change.