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(vii) Lastly, extra pay is granted to the Railway Staff on duty on Chinese New Year's Day at the rate of one additional day's pay. We understand that similar allowances ranging from 20 cents to scavenging staff, to $1.00 for Motor Drivers, are paid in the Sanitary Department. We consider that these allowances should be paid under the general rule formulated in paragraph 171 and that in the case of men on daily wages double pay should be given.
173. Other Consolidated allowances for overtime are paid as follows:-
(i) In connection with the preparation of the Evening Weather Report and Map a Senior Officer of the Royal Observatory, must remain on duty up to 8 p.m. So long as the normal three officers are in the Colony no allowance is given, but when any one of them is on leave an allowance of $50 a month is paid to each of the remaining officers. We con- sider there is no justification for the payment of such an allowance to officers of the stand- ing of the Director of the Royal Observatory and his Assistants. We have recommended what we consider are adequate salaries for these officers whose whole time is at the disposal of the Government, and the Chief Assistant will, in the absence of the Director, draw acting pay; we consider, therefore, that the allowance should cease, so far as the Director and Chief Assistant are concerned. The First Assistant draws no acting pay during the absence of one or other of his seniors, and we consider, therefore, that the allowance might reasonably be allowed to continue for him. It should, however, cease when a new appointment is made.
(ii) An allowance of $50 a month is paid to an Assistant Marine Surveyor for over- time in supervising the Government Slipway at Yaumati. We consider this allowance to be of the nature of a personal allowance granted for special reasons and advise its con- tinuance.
(iii) A sum of $300 appears in the Estimates as an Overtime Allowance to the Inspector of Permanent Way on the Kowloon Canton Railway. We understand that this allowance has been abolished.
(iv) An allowance of $5 a month is, at present, granted to a clerk in the Medical Department who is required to attend at the V. D. Clinic at the Government Civil Hospital from 5 to 8 p.m. on two nights a week.
We consider that this allowance should be continued.
(v) Extra work allowances at the rate of $24 each per annum are paid to two Class IV Seamen in the Harbour Department for the painting of Harbour Department buoys, and to the Boatswain at Blackhead's Hill Signal Station for supervision of the typhoon signals hoisted there. We consider that these might reasonably be continued.
(vi) "Hard lying" allowances ranging from $2 to $4 a month are paid to the crews of the launch and motor boat attached to the Imports and Exports Department and a fur- ther messing allowance of $2 a month to the crew of the motor boat. These allowances were granted on account of the specially arduous duties attached to these boats and, we consider, they might reasonably be continued.
IV.-Rent of Government Quarters, Rent and Lodging Allowances.
174. The General Orders dealing with Rented Quarters, Rent and Lodging Allow- ances read as follows:-
“109.—(1) For the purposes of these rules
(a) "married officer' includes a widow or widower who supports one or more sons under the age of 18 years, or one or more unmarried daughters; but does not include a married woman, or an officer on probation who shall without the permission of the Colonial Secretary marry during the probationary period of service.