25
No. 1913
4
HONGKONG.
PRÉCIS OF CORRESPONDENCE ON THE SUBJECT OF INCREASES OF SALARY.
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His
Excellency the Governor, April 10th, 1913.
The correspondence deals with applications for increases of salary by the following:
(1.) Messengers, etc.-House Allowances.
(2.) Subordinate Officers not included in the Grading Scheme.
(3.) Subordinate Staff of the Post Office.
(4.) Officers of the Cadet Service.
(5.) Overseers, Public Works Department.
(6.) Wardmasters, Medical Department.
(7.) Principal Warders and Warders, Prison Department.
(8.) Sanitary Inspectors.
(9.) Land Bailiff, New Territories.
(10.) Assistant Engineer and Station Officer, Fire Brigade,
(11.) Third Interpreter, Supreme Court.
(12.) European Police on sterling salaries and on dollar salaries with exchange
compensation.
(13.) Local Officers on dollar salaries.
(14.) Senior Clerk, Audit Department.
(15.) Assistant Masters, Queen's College.
These applications pleaded generally the inadequacy of salaries on account of the in- crease in cost of living and in the case of salaries on a sterling basis also on account of the rise in exchange. They were laid before the Governor soon after his arrival in July last and were in due course forwarded to the Secretary of State for the Colonies with the following recommendations.
1.-Messengers, etc.-House Allowances.
In a despatch under date 31st October, 1912, the Governor informed the Secretary of State for the Colonies that in consequence of numerous applications for increases from sub- ordinates of this class Sir F. Lugard had appointed a Committee to consider and report on (i) the remuneration of Government office employees with salaries of $15 per month and under and (ii) the housing of such employees or alternatively the grant to them of house allowances.
The Committee recommended that free quarters should be provided for Messengers, Office Attendants and Office Coolies or in lieu thereof at the discretion of Government an allowance of $2 per month,
The Governor stated that the scheme had only been partially applied and requested authority for its general application as from 1st January, 1913. This recommendation would involve an excess on the Estimates for 1913 of $648.
Mr. Harcourt in a reply dated 20th December, 1912, approved the above proposal.
Since the receipt of this despatch further employees of this class have been included in the scheme involving an additional sum of $600.